


Predators and Prey

by Madamn_Resident



Category: Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Blood and Gore, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, M/M, Slow Burn, Vampire Hunters, Vampire Turning, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-01-15 14:23:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21254807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madamn_Resident/pseuds/Madamn_Resident
Summary: To an apex predator like a powerful vampire, everything is prey.To a seasoned monster hunter, nothing is a predator.





	1. Midnight Gala

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Artgoettaes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artgoettaes/gifts).

> This is for Artgoettaes who had the wonderful idea for this story ;) I also wanted to write something for halloween XD Sorry if this isn't exactly how you envisioned this story Artgoettaes but I hope you like it <3

The sky was a pastel grey, the kind of hue that could pass for smoke. It was almost like the world was cased in it, swathed in a tide of chemical fumes with wet dense ash wafting down onto the frozen ground.

Leon S. Kennedy – tracker/hunter/ and former soldier – stood on the high ridge of a Gothic cathedral, blue eyes cast down as he surveyed his surroundings. He knew this idea was beyond irrational but he couldn’t sit idle and let this query go on any longer. Not when so many lives had been forsaken by the will of these fucking _monsters_.

He’d get justice for the comrades they’ve lost along with the missing victims that had vanished without a trace.

If Claire could talk to him right now, she’d be telling him to get the fuck down from that rooftop. To stop being so moronic and just think this through. But the thing is, Leon _had_ thought it through. Had his whole plan worked out all the way down to the tether. It wasn’t like he couldn’t do this on his own. He’s been by himself way before he even joined up with the League of Hunters. He didn’t need them back then and he sure as hell doesn’t need them now.

Because there was no way he would ever get himself killed by a fucking vampire coven of all things. He’s faced off scarier and more horrifying foes. Like that time he took out an entire café of feral werewolves with nothing but a silver fork. Granted, Chris had shown up just in time with a crossbow to fend off the brunt of the pack. But still, they wouldn’t have gotten out of there alive if it hadn’t been for Leon’s agile and veteran reflexes.

There was a reason why people said he was the best that silver can buy.

They use to talk about him during the rise of the witch trails. When his name was just a whisper in the dark corners of the world. His very presence incited panic and fear into the creatures of the underworld. Werewolves would run, witches would scream, and vampires would hiss like snakes seeing a mongoose. No one was safe from the likes of him. Not even the immortal coven of Raccoon City.

They were the reason Leon was out here tonight. This entire coven was behind the teenage disappearances that began in the early season of fall. They were also behind the open killings of detectives who started an investigation. And now they were the reason why a handful of hunters hadn’t reported back over a week ago.

Of course, the vampires didn’t leave any evidence of their crimes but every hunter knew who was responsible. This was the only renown coven in the city’s radius. Any other creature or erstwhile vampire knew to elude territory that’s already been claimed. And this particular coven had made it abundantly clear of what they have claimed.

“These bastards are going to get what’s coming to them.” Leon muttered, fingers curling into a white fist around the black beads of a rosary. The metal dug into the palm of his skin and he slowly relaxed the tendons in his hand and looked down at the depressions of a silver cross.

“Ashley… I’m sorry.” Leon whispered. This was her necklace. She’d given it to him the day she came to the League to ask for help. Help with finding her friends. She couldn’t report to the real cops because typical humans didn’t believe in the supernatural.

She’d been so scared when they first met, wearing the look of a girl who had no one else to turn to. She was young, a high school student in a private catholic school. She’d been searching for her wayward friends ever since they went missing after a night at the dance club. Since then, the news of the disappearances had reached media outlets and newspapers. The detectives had a person of interest linked to the crime, a person who was last seen at the club with Ashley’s friends right before they disappeared. And the investigators had been on the path to finding this particular person… before the people on the case disappeared as well.

_“…I know what that man at the club was. I saw white fangs in the black-light. And his eyes weren’t normal…they were dark. They weren’t human. He’s a monster." _The teenage girl had been frantic.

_“No one else can help me. No one else believes…”_

But Ashely did. And she had faith in two things. Faith in god…

And faith in Leon.

_“Please find them.”_

The words were a prayer… before she ended up vanishing too.

Leon slipped the rosary around his neck and tucked it under his shirt.

“I’ll find you, Ashley.... You and your friends. I promise.”

🦇

The vampires were holding some sort of gala tonight. Ironically at a church. Leon wasn’t sure if this was an inside joke or if perhaps vampires actually had respect for the very religion that seemed to despise them so much. Either way, it didn’t matter what place it was. It wasn’t going to stop Leon from quenching his own thirst for blood.

He’d made it to the ceilinged windows that gave a view of the grand hall inside. Red carpet lined the aisles, satin mantles were coiled around the stone columns and golden candelabras glowed from the walls. Guests were drifting in through the large entryway, greeting friends they came across with an elegant bow or curtsy. They were dressed in fine clothing; soft satin and lavish silk, velvet hats and dark laced gloves. Truly the embodiment of cryptic beauty. But Leon wasn’t fooled by their patrician appearance. He knew what they really were inside. And that was nothing but an empty shell of evil.

It was already midnight yet the arrival of vampires didn’t seem to stem, probably because their day was only just beginning. There was a lot of them here and Leon wondered if every vampire in the region had been invited to this social event.

He didn’t fret about it, as there were far more prominent fears then the threats of death on his mind. Like failing to save Ashley and every other person that’s been a victim to this bloodsucking society.

It wasn’t a secret that vampires had a natural history of making humans into thralls, their own personal slaves to do whatever they please with. Thralls were controlled by the blood of the vampire they were tied to and that tie couldn’t be broken unless the vamp was killed or if the vamp decided to release their thrall. Though, Leon’s never heard of _that_ happening.

As if on cue, the hunter spotted a long legged serving girl, a _human_ girl, sporting a tight black dress and offering up a golden tray of what looked like red alcohol to a guest. The vampiress took it without a glance up. Regardless, the serving girl gave a soft nod before walking over to the next guest.

Leon saw similar dressed human girls with trays of their own going around the room. Some even had faint bite marks on their necks. A sign of enthrallment perhaps. Leon even recognized a couple of them from the missing posters.

But no signs of Ashley…or her friends. Leon didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. There was a chance that Ashley had been taken for the sole purpose of being a slave… but there was also the chance she had been taken to be fodder.

Yet, there was the slim possibility that the girls here had chosen this by their own free will. Some people actually dedicated their lives toward that kind of thing. Though why anyone would _want_ to be in the servitude of a fucking vampire is something Leon would never understand. In the case of Ashley, he knew a girl like her would never willingly be in this kind of situation. His eyes glanced at the wine glasses that were being served. It looked thick and red.

_Wine mixed with blood no doubt,_ But whose? Leon didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to think that it might be Ashley’s blood or any of her friends.

The hunter let out an airy sigh and closed his eyes.

This was going to be harder then he initially thought. He’d been so caught up in his emotions and desperation ever since Ashley went missing, that his whole plan had been to bust in guns blazing and kill every bloodsucker in sight just to save her.

But he hadn’t taken into account of any human bystanders. He needed to find a way to get them out safely if he didn’t want them getting caught in the crossfire.

Leon deliberated on going back to home base. To get help, backup, or even more fire power. But it was too late for that now. Every moment he spent lingering on this rooftop was a moment taken from Ashley’s life. He needed to find her. Shit, after all the people who’ve already been killed by these fuckers he needed to put an end to them quickly once and for all. Before anymore lives were stolen. His soul be damned if there were human casualties but Leon didn’t have much choice at this point. He’d just have to hope that the humans were in a sane state of mind to duck and cover.

The hunter stood up, corded muscles flexing under a fitted black shirt as he unholstered his dual pistols. Both guns specially designed to fire silver bullets. His utility belt held silver dust grenades and incendiary grenades as well as narrow wooden stakes. He’d take out as many vampires as he could, blow the place to hell and make it to the basement in the midst of the chaos. If there was one thing he knew, it was that vampires always hid their commodities from the reach of the sun. And such commodities included humans. If Ashley was here then that’s the place she was most likely to be.

Leon took a deep breath, then he kicked in the glass ceiling. The force of it fractured lines that branched out and shattered the entire dome. Glass rained down into the hall and an array of shocked cries echoed up through the windows. Leon didn’t wait for any of that glass to hit the floors before unpinning a couple of silver dust grenades and dropping them on the heads of the vampire guests. A few hisses escaped the bloodsuckers right before the bombs detonated. A flash sparked the air and Leon took out a grappling hook and looped it around a gargoyle before vaulting down through the broken ceiling. He started firing his guns before he even hit the ground, nailing a few vamps in the head and chest. The bullets burning straight through their flesh and turning their skin to ash.

Screams bounced off the walls, accompanied by the sound of a few snarls as a couple of vampires launched themselves through the silver dust and toward Leon. Leon’s feet finally touched the ground and he quickly fired at each parasite that dared to come his way, hitting them square in the head without missing once.

He needed to move quickly, needed to make each shot count if he even wanted a chance at finding Ashley. Leon emptied his magazines and automatically reloaded. He shot his way through the church, each bullet triggered the sound of a dead body hitting the floor like a premeditated cadence. His hands moved with the fluidity of water, perhaps not as fast as a vampire, but calculated enough to match their speed. Shell casings ringed onto the marbled floors. He soon ran out of bullets and then his hands were grasping wooden stakes instead of guns. He was aware of more silver dust grenades going off but barely aware of when he’d thrown them again. Clouds of silver shrouded the room. It made the vampires weaker, the silver dulling their senses, almost to the level of a human’s. And it gave Leon the edge he needed to eliminate the last of them at the back of the pulpit.

After he finished shoving a stake through the chest of a spitting vamp, he turned around to canvass the carnage he left behind. Ashen bodies and dark blood littered the floors, the air was thick with silver dust but Leon could see the faded silhouettes of a few surviving vamps fleeing out of the foyer. There wasn’t any sign of the human servants he’d seen earlier. Which meant they must’ve made it out too. He was tempted to go after the fleeing parasites but he reminded himself that he needed to get to the basement.

He unhooked the incendiary grenades from his belt and pulled the pins free before tossing them down the aisle. This was certain to keep any vamps from reentering through the front of the church. He already scouted the premises beforehand and knew there was an emergency exit. He turned around to head toward the basement doors and caught sight of a tall vampiress just before she disappeared up the rear staircase. Leon immediately chased after her as the beginnings of a blaze cackled behind him.

Thoughts of the basement wasn’t lost on him but if he could catch a witness then maybe she could point him in the exact direction of where any hostages were, instead of running around blind until he found them.

Leon ascended the stairs that led to an open balcony where the full moon was shinning bright on the starry backdrop. This balcony was moderately decorated just like inside had been. Stands of drinks and furniture to lounge on where arranged along the railings. Leon saw that there were vampires up here as well, most of them were already jumping over the balustrades and disappearing down the streets below.

The hunter’s hands tightened on the stakes in his grip and he raised his arm to throw a stake straight through the heart of a fleeing scrounger faster than it could get away. The vampire cried out in agony before collapsing in on itself in a tangle of ash and bone.

When the body fell to the ground it revealed another vampire standing behind it.

Leon unsheathed another stake from his belt but then his movements slowed to a halt. His breaths shortened, his eyes marginally widened as a flicker of red irises peered at him through the cloud of dense vampiric ash.

_It can't be…_

Leon nearly baulked at the realization of what he was staring at.

Normal vampires didn’t have eyes that glowed like torches in the night.

But this wasn’t a normal vampire.

Leon prized himself in not taking a step back. In not flinching one millimeter away in alarm. Because that would’ve put him at a disadvantage from displaying his fear alone.

_A fucking pureblood. Just my fucking luck._

🦇

Pureblooded vampires weren’t exactly common in Leon’s daily roundabout. He’s rarely laid eyes on a pureblood before, if ever. They were like the myth of legends. Born as immortals from vampire parents, the untainted line passing on through the eras with each generation becoming stronger then the next. It made them the most apex predators on the food chain.

And now Leon was faced with one.

Shit…and he’s all out of bullets too.

The pureblood wasn’t alone up here. There was a woman next to him, the vampiress that Leon had seen on the 1st floor before she fled up the stairs. She had short black hair that looked silky to the touch and her eyes held the mischievous glimmer of a magpie. She wore a seductive red dress with a pair of edgy black stilettos.

The winter breeze cleared the ash in the air and Leon could now make out every detail of the pureblooded vampire next to her. He was dressed in a three piece suit that matched the color of the dark frosty sky, contrasting sharply with his blond hair which was slicked back without a strand out of place.

His eyes were a neon red, like an aura of power that was physically radiating from them. He didn’t even seem fazed with what was going on down below or with how many vampires that had fled the scene. He merely had an expression akin to boredom and vacant humor on his thin lips.

“Quite the show you’ve put on.” the pureblood finally spoke, his voice rippled like smooth wine through Leon’s ears.

The hunter wasn’t about to let that nonchalance get to him even though a pureblood had every right to feel undaunted. To them, everything was prey.

But to Leon, so was every vampire.

“Well it wasn’t for free.” Leon quipped as he brandished the wooden stakes in his hands. “I take blood for admission.”

“Funny.” remarked the pureblood, though this time, his tone was deadly serious. “So do we.”


	2. Blood Red Wine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for all the comments and kudos so far! <3 And thank you for reading my story! You guys are awesome! =D

Count Albert Wesker was never fond of these social gatherings. They were attended by the high born elitist that were always vying for his attention. The only thing that anyone ever wanted these days was the approval of a pureblood. Their personalities were so disgustingly one dimensional it was all Albert could do to find what little sanctuary he could up on the balcony. But he soon realized there was no escaping the prying eyes of his nocturnal confrères. He found himself cornered by Countess Excella Gionne, a noble from the African Coven.

She was quick to offer him a chalice of human blood and Albert took it without drinking it. The wine here smelled like swine, the cheapest grade of flesh that anyone could snatch off the streets. And Albert was certain that's where it came from if those missing posters he saw on his way to the gala were anything to go by. His palate had a more… acquired taste set apart from the stale drivel that everyone else digested.

The best blood, the _only_ blood that was worthy of a 1st born heir such as Albert was the blood of a virgin. Or the blood of a new born baby.

“I know the drinks may not be to your liking.” Excella had mentioned, as if she could read the distaste on his expression. “But rest assured, the host of this party has set aside more… enticing appetizers.”

Albert doubted he’d even be staying that long. He already wanted to jump over the handrails if only to get away from this lackluster revelry.

God, somebody save him.

A loud explosion rumbled through the stone structure of the church. The ramblings of conversation died on everyone’s tongue as they listened closely to the sounds of gunfire and screams coming from inside the building.

“What was that?” Excella questioned aloud. From the crest of the stairwell a new presence emerged.

Ada Wong, Countess from a long line of Chinese descendants, drifted across the verandah in a dress that flowed like liquid silk. She hardly seemed alarmed as she relayed the situation.

“I regret to inform you that we have a party crasher. A hunter. Downstairs.”

“One?” a scoff from one of the aristocrats to her left.

An entertained smirk appeared on Ada’s rubicund lips.

“If his appearance is anything to go by, then I’ll say it’s one Leon Scott Kennedy.”

Men and women all froze at the mention of that name, some with palpable horror on their pale features. Others stunned or too shocked to move.

“That’s absurd. Why would he come here?” one of the vampires shouted.

Before anyone could impart another word someone else scaled the spiral staircase and the area immediately erupted into chaos. Vampires started fleeing the moment they laid eyes on him.

Ghost blue eyes that carried a haunting look, dirty blond hair, roguishly handsome features and packed with an arsenal that could take out a whole army; it was clear that Ada had been right. Standing before them was none other than Leon Scott Kennedy, legendary monster slayer.

Everyone in the nocturnal world knew who that was. A professional hunter famous for his never ending hit list. An expert killer that could take down a pack of werewolves with little else but a silver fork. The stories about him were vastly shared and the rumors were above mere whispers. The man was a nightmare among their kind.

And now he was here with one sole purpose in mind.

Excella Gionne had long vanished and the other vamps quickly followed suit. All except Ada.

Albert wasn’t surprised, there wasn’t a lot that could faze the wily Countess.

One unlucky vampire ran out in front of Albert, only to have a flying stake pierce his chest and impale him through the heart. The vamp collapsed in a cloud of ash and Albert looked up through the fringe of dust particles to stare at the man who had a loudly proclaimed vendetta.

Their eyes locked for a split second and he saw the hunter momentarily pause in his movements before the savagery returned. He bestowed Albert with a look that a wolf would give a sheep. And the pureblood would’ve been alarmed if it wasn’t for his own unshaken credence.

Albert Wesker was born to a family with a legacy that dated back over centuries. He grew up wanting for nothing. With strength and intelligence that outshone the vast majority of the population, there was little in the way of his supremacy. He had overcome every challenge, every fight that was ever thrown his way. And his confidence gained from each one of those victories put him at a distance far beyond everyone who knew him. There was hardly a vamp he didn’t look down upon and his imperious perspective especially ringed true when it came to humans. Mankind were lesser beings. They were nothing but livestock to be slaughtered and served in a golden chalice for his fellow kinsmen. Or, to be placed at the feet of their superior masters.

In the case of this particular hunter, he was probably better served as house paint for this ruined venue.

“Quite the show you’ve put on.” Albert couldn’t help but remark.

“Well it wasn’t for free.” countered the hunter, brandishing the wooden stakes in his hands. “I take blood for admission.”

Over confident.

This so called legendary hunter had no idea who he was up against.

“Funny.” Albert couldn’t wait to rip him apart. “So do we.”

🦇

It was all the warning Leon got before both vampires in front of him disappeared from view. He knew what was coming. He knew that when fighting something faster then you and stronger then you then the only way to win was to anticipate their moves before they could make them. With a fighting pair, they were most likely going to attack from both sides.

The hunter quickly struck out to his right and left, simultaneously nicking the Vampiress along her shoulder and grazing the pureblood over the collarbone. The hunter somersaulted forward just in time to miss a swift lash of a clawed hand. He whorled around and raised his wooden stakes again, readying for their next move.

The two vamps hesitated in their movements, accessing the hunter’s reflexes. When Leon didn’t make a move to counter attack the pureblood darted out of sight. But the Vampiress stayed in place and gave Leon a long fanged smile. The kind of smile that could probably make him forget his own name had it been in a different scenario.

“My mother told me never to play with my food. However, with you, I simply can’t resist.” she smirked.

Leon already knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to distract him but it wasn’t going to work. Leon whipped around and aimed his stake up high just in time to see the pureblood behind him. He heard a shift of fabric as the Vampiress lurched forward at his vulnerable back. But before she could reach him a pin dropped onto the cold stone followed by the clank of a silver dust grenade.

A flash of light and a cloud of powder had both vamps recoiling and hissing in pain. Leon took advantage of their disorientation and shot his stakes forward, One aimed at the pureblood in front of him and one aimed at the Vampiress behind. The pureblood regained his senses a moment too late. He tried to dodge Leon’s attack but that only caused the wooden stake to tear through his ribs instead of his heart. Leon was hardly more accurate with the second stake. It stabbed through the Vampiress' shoulder instead of her chest. A feminine scream pierced the hunter’s ears and clawed hands sought purchase on his arm. Leon quickly kicked her away.

The Vampiress stumbled back a few steps, clutching at the splintered wood embedded in her shoulder. Leon turned his attention back to the pureblood who was now at the far end of the balcony, clutching the stake stuck between his ribs. Dark blood dripped onto the granite masonry. He gave Leon an infuriated snarl. Like a rabid animal backed into a corner.

The hunter unsheathed his last wooden stake from his belt.

He was going to have to make this one count.

“Hope you’re not sated. That was just a taste.” Leon taunted.

“Funny how you’d word it that way.” came the voice of the Vampiress behind him. The sound of her wrenching the stake out of her shoulder prickled Leon’s ears. “Because now that you mention it, I _am_ rather famished.”

Leon shot a look over his shoulder and gave her a narrowed glance but she was too busy fussing over her torn dress.

“Ah, and this was my favorite one too. No excuse for carelessness.” she quietly scolded herself.

“Careless? Or just stupid.” Leon retorted. That earned him a dangerous glare. She gave him a hiss that could rival a tigress.

“Says the man leading a solo extermination.” She took a prowling step in his direction. “It was foolish to come here alone.” She took another step but a crack split the night air in half and suddenly the floor beneath the Vampiress crumbled and caved in on itself. Flames instantly danced into the sky and flickers of cinder whorled around them like flaming snowflakes. The Vampiress tried to rush forward, to grab onto anything and regain her balance but she was caught in the middle of the weakened foundation and she soon disappeared into the depths of the cathedral. A scream echoed up from the flames and Leon heard the pureblooded vampire call out in alarm.

“Ada!”

Leon turned to him. The raging fire cast the hunter’s silhouette across the length of the balcony to where it was almost looming over the pureblood. He could feel the heat beneath his feet, could feel it burning at his back.

He didn’t think about how fast the fire would grow and the brief thought of Ashley crossed his mind before he was forced to face the eminent threat in front of him.

The reflection of fire burned furiously in the pureblood’s eyes as he aimed a neon glare at the hunter.

“You’re not walking out of here alive.” The pureblood intoned, yanking the stake out of his ribs in one swift pull. The clatter of wood hit the stone surface as he tossed it aside and then he crouched low in a readied pounce before vanishing into thin air.

Leon pivoted on his heel and dashed towards the collapsed part of the balcony. He jumped across the aperture, performing a half twirl in midair to catch a look back. A startled growl reverberated after him, the pureblood immediately halting at the edge instead of jumping over the fire like Leon had done. It was obvious that the vamp hadn’t expected Leon to take such a drastic leap of faith. Perhaps he was too stunned to follow, or perhaps he was just scared. It was a well known fact that vampires had a weakness to fire. And Leon had been banking on this knowledge the minute he took the plunge.

Flames swathed around the hunter, the heat and smoke so intense it nearly made his eyes water but he didn’t lose sight of his mark. He raised his wooden stake and threw it as hard as he could.

The stake whistled through the air and speared through the pureblood’s collarbone.

Leon cleared over the hellhole before the back of his heels knocked against the opposite side of the ledge and he tumbled on his rear in an ungraceful landing.

“_Fuck_.” Leon groaned, rolling onto his hands and knees and arching his throbbing spine. “I knew I should’ve done my stretches.” He muttered to himself.

Before he could fully recover, a dense shadow parted through the bellows of smoke. Leon turned his head and his eyes widened in alarm.

“_Shit_.” He barely got the word out before he was kicked across the remainder of the terrace. His body flew like the weight of a pebble and he only came to a halt when his back hit a marble column.

He groaned in pain, eyes screwed shut and teeth clenched. His hand reached out to grasp the nearby railings and shakily pull himself up.

“Don’t waste your energy. You won’t be up for long.” a voice called from the darkness.

What the fuck was it about purebloods that made them so hard to kill? Any normal vamp would’ve stayed down for the count after two wooden stakes and an eyeful of silver, let alone faced with the threat of fire. Leon saw the pureblood come into view through the ash and soot, his eyes burning as bright as the flames. The fierceness matched the encompassing inferno that continued to spread around them, growing ever more wild and perilous.

“The last guy who threatened me ended up without a head.” Leon warned.

The pureblood darted forward and Leon braced himself for impact. He didn’t have any other weapons so he raised his fists, throwing up a swing when he saw the vampire get close enough. But Leon’s hand only swung through air. He whorled around, expecting to find the pureblood behind him but there was no one there.

_Shit._

He should’ve known.

An arm like steel fell around his neck and pulled him back against a chest that was harder then solid stone.

_Fuck!_

He should’ve fucking known better!

Purebloods were top of the food chain for a reason. Because other then being stronger and faster than their fellow bloodsuckers, they also had unique abilities. Those abilities could range from anything. Mind control, telekinesis or fucking telepathy.

The bastard had made him see something that hadn’t been there.

“hmph… I was almost impressed.” Leon heard that lush fluid voice next to his ear. He struggled to get away but the pureblood’s hands might as well have been manacles of iron.

“You’re about to get lit the fuck up.” the hunter’s words emitted from deep within his chest. He didn’t like having his back against the wall, let alone, his back against a fucking vamp. He felt a dark chuckle vibrate up the length of his spine.

“And what makes you so sure?” the pureblood smirked.

A rumble shook the floor below them. The flames licking up the sides of the building and up through the large hole on the balcony grew bigger. And then suddenly a loud explosion burst forth from within.

“_-_fuck!” Leon heard the pureblood curse before the hunter was abruptly released from his clutches. Leon barely caught sight of the vampire disappearing over the rails before the hunter himself was thrown clear into the air from the force of the explosion.

🦇

Leon slowly came to, shifting slightly only to feel a flareup of pain coursing through his limbs. A reflexive cry left his lips and liquid bubbled up from the back of his throat before it came spilling out of the corners of his mouth. He coughed, nearly choking on his own blood before he was able to clear his airways and breathe in the icy air. He was currently on his back, the dark sky hanging above him with the ever constant snowfall quietly drifting down. But only when the flakes kissed his skin did he realize that it wasn’t snow that was falling from the sky.

It was ash.

The hue of the clouds were even highlighted with a soft glow of orange and yellow by the raging fire that continued to burn into the night. Leon tried to move but that only triggered a chain of pins and needles that stabbed every single nerve in his body. He could feel every shard of splintered bone throbbing in time to the beats of his heart.

Something was definitely broken.

A few somethings.

If not his whole body. Not that it was surprising after getting blown off a building.

“_Fuck_,” Leon coughed, his chest squeezing and compressing around his heart as the blood kept seeping from his mouth.

He should’ve thought this through. He should’ve brought some backup. He should’ve…

He should’ve saved Ashley.

“_Ashley..._” Leon whispered, staring up at the starless sky with empty and glazed eyes.

_…I’m so sorry._

🦇

Albert groaned as his skin sizzled from the possessive clutch of the flames. He stumbled through the smoke like a newborn fawn in the dense undergrowth. He waved a hand through the smog, coughing the ash out of his lungs. When he finally reached the clearing he nearly collapsed in the snow but he forced himself to remain standing if only to sustain his indomitable reputation. He clutched at the wooden stake that was still rooted in his collarbone and he swiftly ripped it out in one yank. He tossed the spike aside as he made his way to the front of the cathedral.

Lifting a hand to touch the blistering skin on his face that was already peeling, he winced and a snarl spewed past his chapped lips.

That _fucking hunter_…

No one had ever made Albert bleed like this before. No one had ever made him feel pain like this before.

And of all the people to get the better of him like this… it had to be a fucking lone _hunter_ of all things.

“I’m going to kill him.” Albert growled with a murderous intent gleaming in his eyes. “I’m going to fucking _kill_ him.”

He heard a weak moan on the wind and his head perked up at the sound. He instinctively sniffed the air and a deep rich scent pervaded his nostrils.

That scent. It was from an unfamiliar source yet Albert immediately knew what it was.

_Blood_.

He hastily followed the smell and it led him through all the smoke and ambers and straight to none other than the hunter himself. The brute was lying in the snow soaked and sodden with his own life essence. And Albert could tell from eyesight alone that his body was broken. He almost chuckled in satisfaction at the sight of him but when he came closer the body, the scent of blood hit him harder than anything else ever had before.

He almost choked on his own breath from how much it stunned him. It was strong. Stronger then the oldest brand of alcohol. And it hung heavy in the breeze, like each particle was laced in its nectar. It was so heady and dense that Albert swore he could even taste it in the air.

And it tasted _delicious_.

He stopped in his steps and his legs trembled with the strain to move forward. To get closer to that intoxicating fragrance.

Albert warred with himself. He could barely control his own body. His vision grew more acute and he became physically aware of his pupils dilating, of his fangs elongating.

_What’s happening?_

He came here to kill the hunter. Not taste the bland flesh of a pathetic human. But that scent said otherwise. That scent wasn't the same as the low grade wine from the gala. It was the aroma of the highest quality. An aroma that was unmistakably pure and unspoiled in all forms.

And it could only belong to the blood of a virgin.


	3. The Point of No Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING*
> 
> This chapter contains: Blood, Violence, Broken Bones, Gore and Death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the lovely comments 🥰 and Kudos! 🖤 And thank you for reading my story!

“_Ashley..._” Leon had whispered up at the sky. Her name a dying wish on his lips. He wished he could see her. To know if she was ok. If she was still alive. But the longing to be assured with that knowledge was infringed by a set of footsteps that crushed through the ice. It drew Leon’s attention off to the side where he saw the charred figure of a vampire standing but a few feet away.

Gone were the regal marvel of his clothes. Gone were the refined features of elegance and power. Now replaced with blistering skin and soot covered garments. A semblance of the wicked shadows that danced in the flames around them, with only the gleam of those prominent red eyes to set him apart from the obscurity of the night. But those eyes were not as red as before. They were darker. Abysmal even. The kind of void that held nothing but ravenous hunger.

And it caused Leon to turn rigid in the snow. That look alone stabbed fear into his soul. It was the same look a shark had when they smelled blood in the water. It was the same look that Leon's seen on his enemies countless times before. A look that he was long familiar with. Every predator he’s ever faced had a habit that was driven by their instinct to hunt, their instinct to kill and it was nearly impossible to stop them at the sight and smell of fresh meat.

Yet to the hunter’s own shock and alarm, the monster before him didn’t immediately go for his throat. Or seem lost in a blood craze for that matter. His red irises looked lost in a different kind of way. An immersive kind of way. Leaving Leon so confused and terrified he couldn’t even make an attempt to escape.

“Ashley you say?”

That voice had Leon growing cold. Colder than the harsh ice around them. The unforgotten resonance still held the same velvety texture from before but it had dropped to a thicker and almost depraved octave.

“Is she your girlfriend?” and the vampire tilted his chin up like he was hearing something on the wind. But Leon’s sharp eyes caught the twitch of a nostril and it was then he knew exactly what the vampire was alluding to. A rich chuckle crept around him. It sounded like it was coming from the darkness. And the darkness was everywhere. “Was she afraid of stealing your virtue or something?”

Leon caught the flash of white fangs in the dwindling firelight. The pureblood stepped out of the shadows and the younger man could see his face better. Could see the melted skin and angry burns that were still smoking in this unforgiving temperature. His eyes were more visible and they now looked completely possessed. Possessed by his thirst.

Leon’s breaths shortened and his arms reflexively moved along the ground, desperate to pull himself away. But he didn’t get very far before the heel of a polished shoe suddenly crushed down on his left wrist. A scream cut through the air and Leon choked on the blood that welled anew in his throat.

“I didn’t say you could leave.”

Leon spat out a clot of red tissue and aimed it accurately at that well-polished oxford.

“Fuck you asshole.”

Another heel came down and crushed Leon’s right wrist. The air was once again filled with pain.

“Quite a mouth you have. Don’t know how your girlfriend finds that attractive. Was that what all this was about tonight?” The pureblood sounded amused of all things. Like all the death and destruction that spoiled the gala was purely for his entertainment. “Was this some sort of romantic claim for vengeance? Did one of these poor bastards here kill your sweetheart?”

“She's not my girlfriend!” Leon was quick to rebuttal, if only to preserve Ashley’s pure image. Her name didn’t deserve to be affiliated with the likes of him. Not with so much blood already on his hands. "...but you heathens kidnapped her and probably fucking served her as tonight's appetizer." he added in spiteful anger.

The vampire chuckled again, slowly leaning down at Leon’s side. His oppressing shadow nearly consumed the younger man’s whole body.

"Quite honestly, I've never heard her name before..." the vampire mused, almost delightfully so. "She most likely wasn't even here tonight."

Leon's eyes marginally widened at that. A breath of disbelief escaped him, coiling in a misty snake from his mouth.

_She's... she's alive,_ Leon's thoughts clutched onto that tiny sliver of hope that it might be true. Even though it also meant that his whole rampage had all been for nothing.

At least he got to kill a few parasites.

Leon's inner dwellings were interrupted when the vampire moved closer to him, so close, that Leon felt a small gust of air brush his skin. A gust that matched the cold caress of death.

"Can't imagine what's going through that empty head of yours." uttered the vampire, his eyes looking dangerously hypnotic at this range. "Regret? Anger? Hopefulness? Maybe a little of all three."

Leon felt something touch him, a graze of the monster so close as he leaned further in, his nose brushing along his neck and jawline.

"You said she wasn't your girlfriend..." the pureblood's voice had turned hushed, like those quiet flakes of ash sifting onto the snow. “I’m not entirely surprised.” and he leaned back to appraise Leon with his vulturine gaze. “How could you belong to anyone when you smell this intoxicating?” those whispered words sent a chill down Leon’s spine.

Chris used to joke about it with him. Used to tell him to get the _consort’s protection_ if he didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention from the fiends of the underworld. Where virgin’s blood was the most sought after sustenance on the ‘Dread Market’. The most expensive. The most _valued_. But Leon never had time for that kind of action. He was always busy with his next mark, his next bounty, and usually he was careful enough to not get wounded on the job. But during the times he _did_ get wounded, it made Leon's life a living hell in more ways then one.

Getting so much as a splinter during a hunt would send any creature into a frenzy. It was a hindrance on some missions, a boon on others. He’d be able to take advantage of their distraction, their lust to taste him, and kill them quickly.

Though, this particular time around, he had a feeling things weren't going to end in his favor.

Because now this vampire was much too close for comfort. Leon could see the perfect details of those fangs from his proximity. Could see how long they were. How sharp and cruel, with that slight brutal curve at the ends. He didn’t want to think about getting hooked onto them. His throat would get torn right out.

The hunter tried to move again but he barely covered an inch across the ground before his body failed him. The pureblood lifted a menacing hand and pushed him flat on his back. He hovered over Leon's helpless form, looking increasingly amused.

“Don’t make me break your legs too.” He crooned like a jeering crow. The bastard was reveling in his agony and Leon wished he had at least one wooden stake left on him, because if he did he’d shove it right through this asshole’s neck.

“I’ll fucking kill you.” Leon gritted out through rattled teeth. His breaths wavered and he clenched his jaw to keep the cold at bay… to keep the _fear_ at bay.

Because for once in his entire gruesome career, he was actually scared of what was about to happen to him. He never let himself get trapped like this. He never let himself get _beaten_ like this. And now, all because of some girl he met a week ago, he decided to let his guard down, to let his emotions dictate his actions and lead him headfirst into the jaws of a dangerous predator.

The pureblood chuckled at the thin mask Leon tried to wear and shifted his position, straddling Leon's hips to get a better angle at his target. Leon’s body reflexively tensed but there was little else he could do besides that.

“It’s a shame really…” the vampire was saying, sounding like he was speaking to himself more than to his adversary. Leon felt marble-like fingers sweep over the lines of his face before a hand cupped his cheek. At the same time another hand, a harsher hand, instantly grabbed him by the throat and crushed his windpipe faster than he could even think to flinch.

“If you hadn’t royally pissed me off, I would’ve kept you as my blood bag.”

Leon gasped, trying to lift his arms and push the other man away but his wrists were broken and they could do nothing but uselessly slide along the snow. Fuck, the only thing he really managed to do was make a bloody snow angel. He couldn’t breathe, his neck effectively crushed, and the monster’s hand let go of his throat only to skim up into the strands of his hair, brushing aside a few bangs almost affectionately.

“Normally I wouldn’t disgrace myself by drinking from the faucet but there isn’t any time to grab a glass and truly enjoy this.”

The hands on Leon’s face felt like ice scathing his skin. They were hard like concrete yet smooth like glass. His head was lifted off the ground and those corrosive red eyes bore into his own before they were replaced by the endless dreadful sky. And Leon felt a snap in his neck as a pair of jaws closed around him and bit down through the bone.

He would’ve cried out except he couldn’t. All he could do was just lay there and _feel_. And it felt like small individual knives were sliding into his neck. Sliding through his jugular. Hooking onto veins, hooking onto segments of vertebrae, before crushing through them with those strong powerful jaws.

He’s had things scratch him in the past, nick him with their canines or fangs. But he’s never had anything sink their teeth into him like this. He was one of the best hunters in the world. To think that he’d end up as someone’s meal in the end-

A muted sound escaped his throat, tapering off the moment his cervical spine was severed and broken in half. His vision grew dark, his veins began to burn and the pain that surged through his body became so overwhelming that everything started to feel numb.

And numbness was the last thing he felt before he felt nothing at all.

🦇

A low groan rumbled deep from within Albert’s chest. The skin on his face tingled as it mended itself, his body naturally suturing the cuts and burns that clung to him, the blood that flowed into his mouth helping graciously with the accelerated healing process. More so then any other blood would have done for him.

By the heavens, the hunter's blood tasted _divine_. As luscious as the smell in the air. Like the most saccharine wine in France or the sweetest comb of raw honey. If liquid gold had a texture it would be parallel to virgin blood.

That amatory essence percolated over his tongue like a provocative addiction. It filled his chest with the warmth of July, like his heart was bursting with fireworks. As if the nectar itself was truly capable of giving him a pulse.

He's had virgin blood before. He’s even had the best and purest form of it before. But he can’t remember the last time he’s tasted anything on this scale of boundless succulence. Perhaps it was due to drinking it straight from a warm body. After all, he’s so used to being served that he’s forgotten what it felt like to be an apex predator. Forgotten the thrill of the hunt, the thrill of fresh blood straight from a pounding vein…

It was the best kind of rush that no drug could provide.

Albert felt the last of his scars seal and fade away while he drank what remained of the hunter’s life essence. He could hear the faint beat of the human’s heart getting slower and slower. Soon it would be gone forever.

And Albert couldn’t help but faintly think of it as a waste...

All that mouthwatering blood… he wasn’t sure when he’d taste anything like it again.

“Are you not going to save any for me?” a voice pipped up from behind him.

Albert yanked away from his prey, taking a good chunk out of the hunter’s neck in the process. He spat out the flesh caught in his teeth and released an instinctual growl at the person who dared to approach him while he was feeding.

His growls quietened as he took in the Vampiress that stood in the glare of the dying fire. Her clothes were charred as was most of her skin. Darkened flesh and black bone lay exposed through the burnt frays of her once red dress. The majority of her hair was gone and half of her face was melted to one side but underneath the layer of cauterized flesh, Albert still recognized his longtime ally.

“Ada.” He was shocked, thinking she surely had died when she fell through the balcony. Yet here she stood, more or less still in one piece, with her wounds partially mending slowly but surely. They would heal faster once she consumed some blood.

“Miss me, darling?” she cooed, sauntering across the snow in his direction. She was barefoot, her heels long discarded.

“Too soon for that.” Albert replied, turning from her. He was glad to see her alive of course, but that didn’t put him in any kind of mood to share. Not when a meal was this exotic and rare.

“My lord, …you _wound_ me.” Ada all but purred behind him. “And here I thought you’d be relieved to see your devoted follower still in one piece.”

“I _am_ relieved.” Albert admitted. “I was actually just in the middle of avenging you.”

He heard her amusement echo behind him, her footsteps growing nearer.

“I’m honored, my lord. But perhaps you’ll let me take over? He does smell… quite exquisite and I would feel so much more hale and hearty once I’ve had a taste of rejuvenation.”

“_No_.” The word was nearly growled and he heard Ada come to an abrupt halt from his warning. “Feel free to hunt the nearby streets. This one is _mine_.”

Ada’s soft laugh followed his words and he heard her pacing through the snow away from him.

“Of course, _my liege_.” She said the title facetiously, no doubt bowing down out of view in a teasing manner. “But if I may-”

“No, you may not.”

She smirked and continued anyway.

“I was only going to say, it’d be such a waste to see this one go.”

“Nothing’s been wasted.” Albert was quick to argue, staring at his victim who was probably paying the ferrymen by now, his blood already turning stale on the ground. It was even starting to smell stale.

“That’s not what I meant.” continued Ada. He could hear her prowling his way again. Like a cautious cat seeking attention. “He’s a man of value. A man of his caliber would be a powerful asset.” Her words were all but a purr. The insinuation a forbidden temptation to his ears.

“What are you suggesting?” Albert wanted her to be specific. To not play with words or suggestive thoughts. A smirk cracked her burnt lips and she gave him a regaled look.

“Why don’t you change him?” she bluntly asked.

Albert shot her a narrowed glance, one that spoke in volumes of her reckless audacity.

“You must’ve burned part of your brain back in that fire.” He stated, secretly satisfied with the look of insult that flashed over her blackened face. He turned back to his victim regarding him resentfully. “Besides, you know his blood wouldn’t taste the same once changed.”

He heard Ada smirk in the background.

“You misunderstand _again_.” she tutted, “I wasn’t telling you to keep him for his blood. But to keep him for his _talents_. He’s a professional killer. Imagine who you could get him to kill if he was on our side. No more pesky hunters, no more territorial werewolves harassing us. If hunting is what this one is good at, why not make him one for eternity?” Her footsteps grew distant and so did her voice as she left him to his own decisions to make.

Not as though he really had one to make.

Because Ada’s idea was foolish.

To suggest such a thing as _siring_…

Albert quietly growled in annoyance at the mere thought. He’s never sired anyone before. It's never crossed his mind. Siring someone meant you had to take responsibility for them. It was a lot like having a child. He’d have to feed it, watch it, teach it…

Just thinking about it made Albert want to bang his head against the wall.

Yet Ada’s words were like a haunting record that repeated in his head.

She had made a rather good point about having a hunter on their side. With skills like Leon’s, there wouldn’t be a creature in the underworld that would dare challenge their kind again. That would think about even _hunting_ them again. Having a once esteemed monster slayer on their side would forever turn the tables.

_But_…

And Albert looked back down at the hunter. At his cold lifeless form.

It was probably already too late. The brute would be too much of a hassle to deal with as a newborn vampire anyway. Newborn vampires were the strongest and most unpredictable during their first year after turning. Leon would probably be uncontrollable, unmerciful, not to mention bloodthirsty and blood crazed for that first year of his immortal life. With the strength and rage to pillage an entire city-

Before Albert fully acknowledged what he was doing, he had bitten into his own hand.

Imagining that kind of power at his side, not that he wasn’t a powerful enough vamp on his own, but with an attack dog like Leon, he wouldn’t have to deal with any annoying opposition ever again. No one would risk it if they knew what they were faced with.

Albert cradled Leon’s head with one arm and drew his bleeding hand closer. The hunter’s throat was a mess of torn flesh and bones. There were no means to get blood into his bloodstream the traditional way. Albert would need to insert it directly into the core. His fingers reached out and tore down the front of Leon’s shirt, revealing a smooth plane of hard muscle and pallid scars, clearly the product of rigorous training and hunting. Albert ran an inspecting finger down the left side of Leon’s chest.

“This’ll only hurt a little.” Albert lied quietly, before stabbing his hand directly into Leon’s stomach just below his ribcage. He forced his hand upward, shoving past all the organs in his way and simultaneously tearing through them to get to the one organ he needed. His fingers encircled around Leon’s heart and he tightened it in his grasp, holding it there in his bleeding palm to amalgamate his blood with Leon’s own.

“They say legends never die.” Wesker murmured to himself, but a part of him had an inkling that the hunter could still hear him somehow.

“Prove it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leon: "I'm the best monster slayer in the world. I'm pretty much a walking legend."  
Wesker: "I'm about to end this man's whole career."
> 
> 😆


	4. No Use Resisting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the comments and kudos❣️ They really mean so much to me 🥰  
I'm so sorry this chapter is like the shortest I've ever written but I'll try and make it up to you next chapter 😉

Did the flames of the Cathedral at last consume him? One could only wonder as his veins flared hotly; his skin stinging from every sensation that barraged his flesh. Every molecule of air that brushed against him felt like the stab of a knife. It left his lungs empty of oxygen, left his heart aching for life.

He couldn’t think of anything else besides the all-encompassing pain. It seized every limb. It seized every twine of muscle that held him together. Only to feel like it was pulling him apart.

He opened his mouth without feeling his jaw moving. Screamed without hearing his own voice in his ears. He clutched the fabric at his sides; twisted his fingers into a surface he wasn’t conscious of laying on. No awareness of his whereabouts or sense of time.

Just an endless and ruthless agony he couldn’t run away from.

🦇

Leon wasn’t sure how long it lasted. Hours maybe. Days perhaps. But near the end of it he finally regained a sliver of his senses. Something burned into his chest, though, coupled with his scorching nerve endings he hardly paid it any thought for now. Instead, he focused his attention on where he currently was.

He was laying sprawled on his back on a king sized bed. His vision was blurry as he glanced about the room.

_A room…_

Though whose? He did not know. Had it been any other time, he might’ve taken pause to appreciate the opulent furnishings and satin bedsheets. But the silken covers only irritated his hypersensitive skin. He tried to sit up but discovered he couldn’t move very well. His body felt heavy along with his mind. A feeble groan vibrated from his chest.

How long had he been in here? How long has it been since he last ate anything? Or drank anything…

He reflexively swallowed and suffered the parched cracks of skin in his throat. Like fissures of a dessert.

Thirst suddenly overcame his senses and water was first to claim his thoughts. By habit, his tongue flicked out across his lips but a prick had him wincing in surprise. His dry tongue suddenly became wet and thick. Thick with…

The flavor of it was similar to the metallic tang that Leon’s come to know whenever he got punched in the mouth. But for some reason it… tasted different.

He rose a hand, the complexion of his skin a shockingly pale in the dwindling firelight from a nearby inglenook. His fingertips reached toward his mouth which was parted slightly out of his initial shock. Calloused pads moved over faded lips but were soon impeded by teeth that shouldn’t have been there.

Teeth that were longer then natural.

His hand instantly recoiled away as if he had touched fire.

_Whats going on?_

A sound prickled his ears. The groaning of old wood and rusted hinges. The double doors to the room were opening. And the hunter stiffened. Uncertain if it was a potential friend or foe. But then a smell wafted into the room as a draft blew in.

It was a mixed scent. One warm and one cold. The warm scent was hot, just like his skin felt and it was exceptionally inviting in the way that homely soup was on a winter day. The cold scent, however, was entirely opposite. It smelled sharp and poignant like a sterile knife. Tasteless yet unsoiled. There was something familiar about it too. Something that was captivating and almost soul-binding that drew Leon forward. He managed to sit up on his elbows, nose instinctively twitching and eyes automatically narrowing.

He saw a pair of shadows cross the threshold into the room; their features coming into the light.

And one of those shadows was none other than the pureblood vampire that Leon had been fighting at the Cathedral. The blistered burns that covered his face were no longer there. Instead his skin looked utterly flawless. A canvass of white perfection and predominant traits, honed by a pair of eyes that glowed with the warmth of a sunset. He was wearing an ensemble of velour fabric, a sable overcoat atop a casual suit. His long coattails swayed behind him like the spectral cloak of a grim reaper.

Standing next to the pureblood was a man bound with hands behind his back. He was the source of the warm scent that occupied Leon’s nose. The man was blindfolded and gagged but a chorus of whimpers flitted in Leon’s direction.

Leon sat up straighter, body feeling tight, muscles feeling strained. He could still sense that low brimming flame that continued to torment his mind but it hadn’t yet registered to him what it all meant. Two conflicting emotions welled up from within his soul. One part fury backed by the impulse to immediately attack, to kill the monster that dared make an approach. But the other part of Leon was drowning in a need for something else. Something he didn’t yet know he craved for.

The pair walked further into the room and Leon’s finger twitched. His nose itched, even his eyes itched and he felt something in his mouth. Felt a pair of nicks against his bottom lip when his teeth somehow grew an inch longer. 

The vampire stopped before him, keeping a tight grip on the bound man at his side. He didn’t spare a glance at the hostage, favoring instead to keep his glowing eyes fixed on Leon. His gaze held a hint of scrutiny but also mirth of all things. Like he was amused as well as impressed with what he saw before him.

“Finally awake I see.” his voice was like the purr of a feline. Soft yet lethal. “Are you hungry?”

Hungry was an understatement. The term _starving_ would be more accurate. And Leon hadn’t comprehended until now just how ravenous he was.

The stir of hunger was in Leon’s stomach, in his veins. Even his _lungs_ felt starved of some form of essence. But in spite of that need, that instinct for necessity, there was a cautious voice in the back of his mind. One still alive and alert with his surroundings.

He moved his lips to speak but all that came out was a low reverberating growl. It was a sound he’s never heard himself make before. A sound he’s only heard from the lips of the enemy.

A chuckle responded him in turn. The vampire was smiling now, showcasing those long incisors that Leon had been well acquainted with.

“An honest answer.” The pureblood humored. Anger flashed in Leon’s eyes. He opened his mouth once more to shout but what came instead was a snap of teeth and a snarl that was hindered by words.

“_What did you do to_ _me?_”

“Nothing to brood over.” replied the pureblood. “I simply gave you the gift of immortality.”

Leon went completely motionless. Solidified out of sheer disbelief.

No, this must be some sort of illusion. Some sort of trick. Because it was impossible. How could he ever become the thing he’s always hunted?

His expression twisted, his eyes stung and it felt as though his body was crushing fragment by fragment under an unseen pressure that had encapsulated him for eternity. And with a sinking sense of despair he knew that to be quite literally.

The pureblood was quiet for a short while, his austere gaze fixed on Leon’s reaction. Until finally he drifted closer to the bed, dipping onto it like a sinuous shadow. The man in his grip was forced into a kneeling position on the marbled floor.

“Come now.” the pureblood crooned at Leon, like he was consoling a sad child. “That’s no way to show your gratitude.”

“You did this to me…” Leon whispered, lips slightly trembling at the horrifying realization.

“You should be thanking me.”

Leon’s features darkened, brows furrowed and teeth clenching as he hissed out another snarl. Rage conquered him faster than any emotion ever had before.

“I’ll fucking kill you!” He lunged at the vampire. Or attempted to…

His body was instantly halted, his muscles sustained in midair. He tried to jerk feeling back into his limbs but for the life of him, he couldn’t move.

“What-” Leon gasped and, just as abruptly, he was forced back onto the bed with a _slam_.

_What the fuck…_

The vampire hadn’t even touched him. It was almost like his own body wasn’t even under his control. A moment later Leon’s suspicion was proven correct when the pureblood leaned over him to rest a hand above his head, eyes glowing considerably brighter as he kept Leon pinned in place with that gaze alone.

“Consider this your first lesson.” The pureblood spoke in a voice that matched the rumbling of an incoming storm. “You should’ve known this from prior knowledge as a hunter. Fledglings can’t harm their sires.”

Somewhere in the back of Leon’s mind he’d known that all along. But the knowledge hadn’t completely processed through the rational part of his brain in the present circumstances. Thinking about this monster as his _sire_ was unfathomable and it wasn’t something that Leon could believe. Even now in this moment with his body trapped in place by nothing more than the other man’s will.

“You’re not the one in control here, Leon.” The sound of his name on the monster’s lips made Leon want to fucking punch him in the throat but he couldn’t. He couldn’t even move. He could only lay there like a snared rabbit while the pureblood lifted an elegant hand to brush aside Leon's bangs. A mock show of affection. And it only made Leon fiercer. “It’s best if you don’t fight it.”

“What makes you think I won’t? What makes you think I'm not gonna hunt every fucking bloodsucker out there once I find a way to kill you?” Leon seethed. The pureblood only chuckled. Not at all fazed with Leon’s wrathful vow to hunt them all down.

“The only people you’re going to _kill_ from now on are humans.”

🦇

Leon tried to move, tried to break free, but that overbearing presence had a foothold in his mind. It was like nothing he could ever describe. Something that no one could see. Just an invisible pressure that was weighing him down.

Controlling him.

Oppressing him.

The other man was in his head, not so much _inside. _But on the outer surface. A heaviness that arrested his entire body. A presence that dominated more then just the room. That subduing gaze left Leon utterly helpless and unable to fight back. He knew it was their blood bond that allowed the pureblood to _control_ him like this. To _compel_ him like this.

Compulsion was a gift that every vampire had. And it was particularly effective on humans. It wasn't common for vampires to compel other vampires. Most undead were immune to hypnosis. But in the case of a Sire and his fledgling, the rules of nature were a little bit different. In an active blood-bond such as theirs, compulsion was more of a primitive mechanism. It was what kept a newborn under control. It was what kept them from going off and killing an entire village on a whim.

But it also kept them from having a will of their own. 

The pureblood stood up from the bed, his fingers beckoning Leon in a sylphlike motion.

“Come here.”

A calm order. Soft yet nonetheless absolute.

Leon’s muscles were in discord as he felt himself moving against his own will. His body slid across the glossy sheets until his feet touched the stone floor and his spine straightened itself upright without the support of his arms or hands, coming to a full stance right in front of the other man's daunting stature.

It was the first time Leon noticed the height difference between them. The pureblood was a full inch taller than him, shoulders broader yet lean in their build. His scent was stronger from this new closeness as well. The scent of rime, clean and sharp to Leon’s nose. Like the sting of ice.

“That’s better.” his smug words had Leon’s teeth baring in hostility.

The hunter renewed his efforts in trying to escape but his body wouldn’t heed his command no matter how hard he struggled to move. His enemy reached down and grabbed the human hostage by the back of the neck. At the vampire’s cold touch a pitiful squawk emitted through the gag. The victim was forcibly lifted to his feet and into the air, until he was dangling helplessly above the floor. A series of whimpers seeped into Leon’s ears as feeble legs kicked out fruitlessly.

The pureblood gave Leon a cruel leer.

“This is for you.”

“Fuck you!” Leon hissed, attempting again to break away from the vampire’s gaze. “I’m not a savage.”

Laughter echoed back at him. The pureblood raised an elegant brow.

“No? Shall I get a drinking glass then?”

Leon spat at him and saliva speckled the pureblood’s face in dotted sheens. The older man blinked once before raising a hand to wipe away the brunt of the spittle. Then a hand instantly grabbed Leon around the throat. Leon gasped and tried to fight out of that stone-crushing hold but the other’s strength was far beyond his own.

“I won’t tolerate disrespect of any kind.” The pureblood’s voice was beside his ear, long fangs grazing the outer shell of it. He still had the hostage by the neck, his grip never once wavering from the distraction. Demonstrating his strength by overpowering two men at the same time.

Leon let out a strangled hiss. Not at all frightened despite the display of dominance.

“You don’t _deserve_ respect, you fucking leech.” Leon managed to wheeze out past the constricting pressure around his throat.

“It’s _Albert_ to you.” The older vampire hissed back. “Though in your case, _Sire_ would do just fine.”

Leon’s jaws snapped dangerously close to Albert’s face.

“Fuck you, asshole.”

A low growl made the fine hairs on the back of Leon’s neck stand on end. He suddenly hit the cold floor with a harsh _thud_ and coughs filled the space of the room as air rushed into his burning lungs. But past his own dry-heaving he heard a soft _crunch _and a moment later the human in Albert’s grip went completely limp.

The hunter’s eyes widened. His coughing fit ceased as his mouth hung open in wordless shock.

“Wha-” Leon nearly choked. It was so sudden that he couldn’t process how to feel in that moment.

Angry?

Horrified?

Perhaps both.

After all, it wasn’t often he let a monster, a fucking _vampire_, commit murder right in front of him.

“-why.” Leon could barely articulate. He felt powerless.

He felt guilty.

He should have been able to stop it.

The now lifeless body crumpled to the floor in a boneless heap.

“Consider it your second lesson.” the voice of his sire rang hollow in the deathly silence. “Don’t _ever_ undermine me.” Those foreboding words were followed by a cold command. “Now drink.”

Leon’s teeth clenched together. His fingers curling into fists against the fabric of his pants. He tilted his head toward the floor, willing his gaze away from the fragile corpse, his hair falling in curtains over his eyes. Albert was quick to lose his patience.

“That’s an order!” His voice shook the walls.

Leon felt the pull in his mind the moment the words resonated in his head. But his body tensed in place and his lips curled back with a quiet yet challenging snarl.

“_No_.”

Past the fringe of his bangs he could see Albert’s legs in the corner of his vision. The pureblood moved to his right, drawing closer with each careful step.

“You’ll only make this more painful for yourself.” Albert warned. More of a threat then a warning. “Suffering from your ravenous thirst isn’t enough? Do I have to torture you as well?”

Leon’s snarl grew in volume as it did in rage. His throat burned with the vibrations of the ferocious sound. It burned like it was on fire and that searing ache only continued to fester with each elapsing moment.

“I’m not some mindless animal.” Leon hissed with all the vehemence of a snake.

“No. But you’re a newborn.” Albert was almost forbearing in enlightening him. “And the longer you wait to feed, the more your pain will grow. So for your own sake…” he kicked the dead human to mark his point.

But Leon didn’t take the word of advice. He kept himself stationary, refusing to look at Albert or the corpse for that matter.

A near inaudible exhale emanated from the pureblood and Leon suspected it was due to his mounting frustration.

“I’m giving you a choice. Drink it willingly or I’ll force you.”

“You can’t force me to do anything!” Leon snapped before he could stop himself, his tongue moving quicker than rational thought. A cold sense of uneasiness suddenly griped him, his newfangled instincts sending a distressing warning to the rest of his body.

_Don’t disobey him. Creatures like him know nothing of mercy, _The voice of reason warned him that he was treading in dangerous waters. Provoking the very thing that killed him and had complete control over him wasn’t exactly the best idea. But Leon couldn’t stop his self-righteous impulse to stand up to this beast, even at the cost of his own wellbeing.

Albert leaned down on his hunches, reaching out with one arm to grab the dead human by the shoulder and drag him close.

“I wasn’t expecting your first time to be easy.” The pureblood’s hand curled into a white bony claw and it swiped through the air and right through the human’s broken neck. Blood instantly frothed forth like a bubbling fountain and the smell that flooded the room nearly drowned Leon in the dark overwhelming husk of carnality. “But eventually you’ll learn to take what’s been given freely.”

Saliva instantly filled Leon’s mouth, so much that some leaked from the corner of his lips and down his chin in a slick trail. His fangs poked against the soft flesh of his lip and his fingers twitched to grab onto something. Anything. If only to rip into it and satisfy the sinful need to gorge himself.

But a part of him, the hunter part, the _human_ part that was still alive deep inside that shell of cold existence, knew that this was wrong.

And the last thing he ever wanted to do was succumb to the will of the very thing he’s sworn to kill.

His muscles trembled, his eyes burned as he kept himself staunch in his position. Unwilling to move yet dying to follow Albert’s fiery gaze to the warm crimson prize in his hands.

No doubt the pureblood could sense Leon’s animosity on both sides of the spectrum. Could probably sense it in his gaze alone, a gaze that burned with both desperation and loathing. He’s desperate to drink yet loathing to become the monster he was turned into.

“Well? Are you waiting for an invitation?” Albert’s voice was a soft spoken taunt. Playing on Leon’s anger was clever but Leon wouldn’t be goaded into drinking someone’s life essence. He didn’t move from where he was and it caused Albert to look slightly surprised.

“Hm, so not even the smell of blood is enough to make you lose control? It usually does the trick for newborn vampires.” said Albert matter-of-factly, He raised his hand before giving Leon another command.

“Come here and _drink_.”

Albert didn’t have to tell him what would happen if he disobeyed him again because Leon felt it a moment later.

_Pain_.

Unbearable bone splitting _pain_. Like his limbs were fracturing. Like his nerve endings were dissolving. He thrashed against the marbled floor and a scream was torn from his throat.

It was worse than the burning thirst.

Worse then any physical pain he’s endured before.

Because this wasn’t physical pain. It was all internal. It’s influence was so deep in his mind that it made him feel like the entire world was crushing down on his body. He cried out again but this time his scream tapered off into a broken sob. And then the pain subsided and it was gone just as quickly. Leaving only the ghost of pinpricks behind.

Leon panted against the floor. Lost for breath. Lost for words. He wasn’t sure how to even get his limbs in working order again.

“I don’t like repeating myself.” Albert intoned. “Need I say it again?”

“I-…” Leon inwardly cursed himself, distraught at the sound of how his own voice quivered in fear and weakness.

He wouldn’t crumble though. No. The day he became a hunter he had made a vow to never give up. To never _give in_. To go down fighting no matter what.

“I didn’t hear you the first time.” Leon quipped. He turned his head to meet the pureblood’s eyes, which were unequivocally red like his temper. Albert narrowed his gaze, looking less and less the regal noble, and more the ruffled peacock.

“Ready for another round then are we?” muttered Albert, voice dripping with arrogance but his irritation was seeping through the forefront.

_Please no,_ Leon was almost inclined to beg. Deep down, he was pleading not to go through another round of pure agony. But his pride wouldn’t let him submit and give Albert the satisfaction.

Besides, if he gave in now he might as well just shove the nearest wooden stick through his chest. Dying was better than becoming a bloodsucking monster.

Albert looked none the happier with Leon’s stubbornness. Though by some strange miracle he broke Leon’s gaze and stood up, taking the human corpse with him.

“Entertaining as that may be, his blood is already cold.” said Albert, dragging the human body with him like it was nothing but a sack of potatoes. “Drinking it now would only make you sick.”

_As if he cares if I get sick…_ Leon inwardly groused. He suspected that this was about something else. A display of power and control perhaps.

The pureblood made his way to the door, leaving a trail of cold blood in his wake. The smell of it had even lost its enticement, lost it’s warmth and promise of vitality.

Albert stopped in his steps before exiting the room, turning towards Leon one last time.

“Such a pity. The poor man died for nothing. But you can sit there and think about that while you starve.”


	5. A Hare in Our Harem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally took Chapter 5 and combined it with Chapter 4. Sorry if this causes any confusion! The story still remains the same.

Hours went by. Leon couldn’t keep track of how many exactly. He only knew that each one that passed became more torturous then the last. The burn of sandpaper was in his lungs. His chest was tight like an hourglass. Each grain of sand that accumulated in his diaphragm brought him incrementally closer to a suffocating death.

Except…. It was already just so, wasn’t it?

Remembering his hapless defeat caused his mental barriers to collapse, his whole perception shaken in the aftermath.

_This can’t be happening._

And yet it _was_ happening. With every tick of the clock a stream of fire pummeled through his veins. His stomach churned and ached with his growls. He didn’t realize when he’d crawled back into bed, limbs twisting in the sheets, searching desperately for some form of comfort in his growing agony.

There was that scorching ache in his chest again. Like someone took a hot pike fresh from the coals and skewered him in the heart. He growled, his eyes traveling down, only to find a blazing emblem that nearly blinded him. He hissed in pain, his hand reflexively darting up to grab the pendant on his chest and harshly yank it off. Black beads rained off the bed and onto the floor, spilling outward and rolling across the cold stone.

His hand was sizzling and he looked at his palm, at the whittled metal that branded into his flesh. He grunted and let go, flinging the pendant onto the bed, but then his eyes widened as he recognized the symbol.

It was a cross.

And he nearly choked on a short gasp.

_Ashley’s…_

Just as fast, he snatched the broken rosary back up. The moment he touched the silver pendant his skin started to blister but he didn’t let go this time. No, this time he held it even tighter, curling his fingers around it in a white fist in hopes the cross might sink right into his flesh.

He focused on that pain in his hand, trying to forget about the twisting cramps in his stomach. Trying to forget the sharps pinpricks against his bottom lip and about the fire in his blood.

After a while the pain subsided like a forceful wave trickling back into the ocean. His eyes were screwed shut from the agony he endured and he blindly let go of the small crucifix, fingers a mess of blisters and boils. They slowly began to heal and he softly panted as the aches in his bones faded away, his body covered in cold sweat.

Finally, a brief respite.

A chance to recover… for however long the peace may last.

He was almost frightened to open his eyes least any movement he made cause another episode of torment.

The door creaked open and his ears strained at the sound. He waited with baited breath as the moment elapsed into silence.

When nothing came after, Leon rose up, his head turning to the open doorway. A column of orange light seeped through the crack, it’s glow a beckoning temptation. He then heard something. Something far off and ethereal. Like the whispers in a graveyard.

He gingerly got up from the bed, black silk pooling onto the floor. If he still had a heartbeat it’d be thrashing in his chest. Was this his chance to escape? How long did he have until he was consumed by another brutal wave of hunger?

He swiped up the remnants of the rosary and safely pocketed it. Even though the mere sight of it gave him a headache, he wouldn’t willingly leave Ashley’s memory behind. He crept over to the door, laying a hand on the brass handle before cautiously peering outside.

There was a grand hall that laid before him guarded by ebony suits of armor. They were polished and stationed on a long crimson carpet. Embroidered tapestries hung from the ceiling, swaying slightly from a draft. Candles flickered along the walls but no other movement caught Leon’s sharp eyes.

There was that sound again, a distant noise that echoed down the foyer. His head instinctively turned toward it, wondering where exactly it was coming from. Before he could outweigh his options his feet were already carrying him down the hall. All rationality and practicality thrown aside to satisfy a visceral curiosity.

_I should find an exit…_ the conscious part of Leon’s brain was trying to bequeath wisdom but there was a smell in the air. A fragrance he could taste with every breath. A sweet and flowery flavor. Like Marzipan and lilies.

It was impossible to resist.

The further he traveled down the corridor, the stronger that scent became. The noises also got louder. The sounds becoming more distinct and higher pitch.

It was laughter.

Light and soft. And the smell from earlier filled his lungs ephemerally.

_Women._

He knew it before he saw them, could sense them past the set of gilded doors he came upon. They were slightly cracked ajar with diamond white light shining through. He peered inside, his vision nearly blinded by the amount of splendor in the room.

There was a variety of women lounging on ivory cushions and glass furniture. They were all different in looks yet possessed the same image of elegance and beauty. They were dressed in pale flowy garments with diamond jewelry glinting from their necks and wrists. Bouquets of hydrangeas were scattered about the room, fusing with the thick scent of perfume in the air. There were crystal decanters and glass chalices sitting on tables and chairs, filled with a red concoction that Leon swore he could smell even from where he stood.

It smelled…

_Like blood._

“…and what do we have here?” a serendipitous voice cut through his thoughts.

Leon froze in place. The dainty chatter had died down and now all the women were staring toward the doors.

“Well, don’t be shy.” another voice chirped in. And before Leon knew it the doors fully swung open, revealing a smaller girl with pixie blond hair standing next to the threshold. She was of a petite frame, her skin a pearly hue. He hadn’t even noticed her sneak up. But now that the door was wide open, the smell in the room hit him full force. The smell of blood. Along with the smell of the women, who had this crisp and sharp aroma amidst the floreated fragrance. A sharpness that he associated with Albert. A crispness like cold snow. Lifeless… like death.

_Fucking vampires._

His mind was slow on the uptake and it would appear he wasn’t alone. Because the women had also gone motionless after catching his scent in the air. The girl closest to him slightly quailed. It was such a small movement Leon wasn’t even sure he saw it. But then she drew closer to him, carefully and curiously, a spark of newfound interest in her azure eyes. She deeply inhaled through her nose.

“Hn… He smells like Lord Wesker.” she affectionately stated, long lashes fluttering a little.

“Of course.” said the one in the middle of the room, who now had a fiendishly delighted look on her face. She was lounging on one of the divans, long milky legs on display through the slit of her dress. Her raven hair lay loose around her shoulders. “You must be his newly turned progeny.” 

“Why don’t you join us?” invited the pixie blond.

Before Leon could object, he was suddenly whisked inside, her sped and strength surprising him for how small she was. He found himself on one of the many lavish cushions in the center of the room. And instantly, he was swathed by the women around him.

“Poor lamb…” one of them cooed next to his ear. He felt someone pet his hair. He flinched away from her, a snarl on the tip of his tongue but none of them gave him any room to breathe. “Did you lose your way in the great big castle?” her tone was belittling. Like how one would talk to an infant.

“You look so thin.” said another. And a delicate hand ran down the span of his torso. “Does Lord Albert neglect you?”

Leon hissed,

“Get away from me.” but it came out more like a whisper. His throat too dry to expel any volume behind it.

“Someone sounds thirsty.” The raven girl softly laughed and it was followed by a chorus of giggles from the other women. She lifted up one of the champagne glasses with red liquid in it. “Here. You’ll feel better once you drink.”

Leon could smell the blood in that glass as it got closer to his lips, the scent growing stronger and more appealing. He could feel the women pressing in around him like they were getting closer as well. There were murmurs in his head, a hot desire in his chest.

But in his mind he knew who he was. And he wouldn’t debase himself into a soulless monster just for some sweet talk.

“Succubus.” Leon growled, his eyes shifting from hers to the glass. And then his hand lashed out and smacked the chalice out of her grip. Blood spilled onto the furniture and carpet, staining the white fabric a stark red

“Unmannered.” she tutted without seeming fazed in the slightest. Her tone was one of motherly patience. “But then, all newborns are.” She leaned in over him, her shadow a heavy weight above his body. His bones felt like they were being crushed yet no one was holding him down. All they were doing was caressing his skin and playing with his hair.

He wanted to shake them off but he felt tired all of a sudden. Breathless.

Weak.

_Why can’t I move?_

The blood on the carpet was starting to drown his senses. His vision became blurry. All the color in the room was starting to turn red.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything to drink?” asked the raven haired girl, her fingers skimming over his cheekbone and down the length of his jaw before brushing against his chapped lips. “You look absolutely _famished_.”

Leon’s jaws snapped at her fingers, causing the other women to momentarily startle back.

“Don’t touch me.”

Teasing laughter jingled back at him.

“The rumors said you were a hunter.” said the raven haired girl with a taunting flash of teeth. “But what I see right now is a lamb.”

_A lamb to the slaughter…_ A voice in Leon's head couldn’t help but infer. And it was nothing short of reality. He was outnumbered and he didn’t even have the strength to push them away. He had walked right into a trap.

Something tightened in his chest, all words were trapped in his shrinking lungs. He wanted to leave.

No.

What he really wanted to do was _kill_ them.

“I’ll kill you.”

Shrewd tittering gusted across his face and a slim delicate finger curled around a lock of his hair.

“He’s so cute.” giggled a chestnut haired girl with golden eyes. She slid between his legs “No wonder Albert took you in.”

He heard purring in his ear.

“All those stories of a roguish hunter were really just fables weren’t they? Deep down, you’re just a soft kitten with _wittle_ claws.” Another girl, this one a pale blond, had his hand in hers, rising his fingers to her mouth. “How many creatures have you killed with these hands?” she asked, lowering her voice into a sultry whisper. “I won’t tell.” she fluttered a wink.

Leon yanked his hand away and tried to scoot back as far as possible. He hissed, the warning sounding desperate and even smothered in a way.

“Awe, don’t be scared. I promise we don’t bite…. Too much.” One of the women said, he wasn’t sure which anymore. There were too many of them, and they were all closing in.

Like a flock of vultures.

“I wonder what a pureblood progeny tastes like? I’ve always wanted a sample of Lord Albert’s blood.” one of them breathed in a longing moan.

“Though I suppose you’re the next best thing, hn?”

Leon grabbed the closet thing he could get his hands on and flung it at them, which turned out to be a pillow. Another onset of giggles reached his ears. Desperation was starting to take hold of his mind as the women drew closer. He thought of ways to fight his way out of this, of ways to kill every leech that was in front of him. But for some reason he could barely move, his breaths came out papery thin. As if he was standing on the highest mountain in the world without an oxygen mask.

_Hungry…_

_I’m so hungry._

_I’m dying_, Leon thought in distress. _I’m starving._

_I can’t fight…_

He’d tear into them if he could. Rip them apart limb by limb, if only he could _move_.

Out of ideas, his mind flickered to the rosary in his pocket. It was his only defense against these harlots. But before he could reach for it a domineering voice pierced the air,

“Get away from him.”

A draft blew into the room and with it, a scent.

_That scent…_

Immediately Leon linked it with Albert. Sharp and glacial. So strong that it washed over Leon’s entire form. And just from his smell the tension in Leon’s body alleviated somewhat.

He could breathe.

He could move.

If only a little bit.

However, Albert’s presence had the opposite effect on all the women. They recoiled away from Leon as if he was fire itself, their lissome bodies wallowing low to the ground.

“Lord Wesker,” the raven haired greeted in a salacious tone. Yet that didn’t conceal the flicker of fear that flashed in her green eyes. “I thought you were at the ceremony,”

In a wisp of black smoke Albert was instantly in the center of the room, snatching the raven haired girl off the floor and holding her up by the neck. She gagged, her hands flying up to his wrist. The rest of the women cowered further into the corners.

“Do you consorts need a lesson in decorum?” he intoned, bringing her closer to his face so he could snarl in her ear. The red in his irises glowed brighter. “No one touches what’s mine.”

All the glass in the room suddenly shattered into pieces in small explosions. Shards of chalices and decanters landed on the floor like crystallized raindrops. Bloodred wine spilled onto everything in proximity, specs and spatters landed on some of the women. A string of fearful gasps resonated in the room and Albert tossed the raven girl aside where she landed in a heap on the stained carpet.

“Apologies, Lord Wesker.” she managed to wheeze out, her eyes downcast. The rest of the women were visibly shaken by the show of force. Albert was already walking past her and to Leon.

Leon’s face twisted into a scowl, his lips imparting a warning growl.

“Don’t fucking-” He didn’t get the chance to finish before he was harshly grabbed by the nape of the neck and lifted off the floor. Like a cub in the clutch of a lion, Albert carried him out of the room without the slightest waver in his strides. He whisked them down the corridor and Leon would’ve fought back but his eyesight was already failing him

_Let me go you fucker,_ Leon wanted to shout but just as the thought crossed his mind, he was promptly let go. His body was thrown into the air and he landed harshly on the stone floor. He grunted, shaking his head to try and regain his senses but it was a while before he could gather his whereabouts.

He smelt the air, damp and rusty. Shadows slowly swelled into shapes. And when he recognized the figure in front of him to be none other than his _Sire_, an instinctive growl emitted deep within Leon’s chest. One that would’ve sounded vicious if his lungs weren’t so weak from his thirst.

“You really are becoming quite the handful, aren’t you?” Albert simpered.

Leon swiftly got to his feet and made a dash toward Albert but a set of steel bars suddenly swung shut on his face.

“Fucking bastard!” Leon hollered, lips curling back in aggression. “What the hell is this?”

“A gift.” Albert spoke nonchalantly. Unbothered by Leon’s open display of hostility.

“You can shove it right up your ass.” Leon muttered but his words sounded drained. Like the rest of his body was. That didn’t stop him from giving Albert an earful though. “I don’t need any _gifts_ from you.” And his thoughts went back to what happened in the soirée hall. “And I don’t need you dragging me around like some prized _pet_.”

“Hmph... You're welcome.”

Leon wrapped his hands around the bars, his grip turning harsh, wanting to bend the metal apart and break free. Except he didn’t have the strength to do it. Not with how famished he was.

“And what should I be thanking you for? For locking me in here by myself?” Leon seethed, baring his fangs.

“You’re not by yourself.”

Leon went still. Because as soon as the words left Albert’s mouth a different smell hit his nose. His spine straightened up, his muscles growing tense. Along with that smell came a soft noise and both originated from behind him. He slowly turned around, seeing the expanse of the prison; steel bars on all sides with replica cages aligning the walls. In the very corner of his cell was the outline of a person. _A human_.

But not just any human.

It was a _girl_. She sat curled in on herself, her body slightly trembling at the sight of the vampires. There were stains on her clothes and dust in her hair. But Leon still recognized the color of it.

_Blond_.

And her eyes were blue.

He nearly choked on the name that formed in the back of his throat.

“_Ashley?_”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I haven't updated in 4eva >.< You all are amazing and I appreciate all who read and still support this story <3 Thank you all so much!
> 
> And by the way, thanks so much for all the comments and kudos! ^_^ You guys are the sweetest <3 <3 <3


	6. Always Beside You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING*  
This chapter includes: Blood, Violence, Broken Bones, Self-Harm and Choking.  
  
We also get some vamp on vamp action... if you know what I mean 😉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all your amazing comments and lovely kudos 🖤 They really make my day and make me smile 🥰
> 
> I will try harder to write faster but my muse has been so off kilter lately lol. Thank you all for still reading my story and being so patient with me. 🖤 I don't deserve you guys.

_ Death_ had never been a fear of Leon’s.

To know it’s merciful embrace after a lifetime of fighting and killing was a long awaited dénouement to his story. He took comfort in the knowledge that one day his bleak existence would ultimately come to an end.

But fate was a ruthless competitor. For it spent years keeping the hunter away from Death’s welcoming arms. Never leaving him in peace. Always leading him astray. To suffer and toil through those treacherous detours whenever it deemed appropriate.

Leon pressed his back against the steel bars, longing to slip through them and leave this place. To leave this hell that Albert had so cruelly trapped him in.

And _left_ him in. The bastard had long disappeared again. Content to let Leon suffer this interlude of torture alone. Without even telling him how she’d gotten here. How he’d gotten _her_.

Ashley lifted her head at the sound of her name on his lips. The change in her demeanor was instantaneous. The fear fled from her eyes as recognition filled the gaps in its place.

“Leon?” She shifted along the wall, her legs straightening to full height.

The aroma that wafted toward him from that slight change in position had his nostrils flaring and pupils dilating. It tainted his lungs with a spell so overpowering, he didn’t even dare to breathe.

She smelled so sweet. So… _tender_.

And it left him utterly _wanting_.

Wanting with every fiber of his being to greet Ashley with the benevolent embrace he’s always longed to have with death.

“Is it really you?” she asked with misplaced hope. He saw the moister gather in her eyes. The recognition in them turning more familiar by the second. She leaned away from the wall and suddenly rushed toward him.

Leon’s entire body went tense. He moved his hands behind him, his fingers circling around the metal bars just as Ashley circled her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his chest, a sob of relief puffing against his shirt.

“Oh thank god. I thought I was all alone.”

Her scent washed over him. The scent of faded perfume and makeup powder. An old fragrance that barely masked the dust and stagnant water that clung to her clothes and hair. Though somehow, her very image remained unsullied. As if no stain could ruin that perfect aura. Beneath it all, Leon could sense the blood that danced across her skin. Could feel it’s heat radiating off of her in waves.

Like the warmth of the sun.

It was a cruel reminder that he’d never see one again.

“Ashley…” His voice shook. Fangs descended from his upper teeth. They became so long that they overlapped his bottom lip. His fingers tightened around the bars, trying his hardest to hold on. To keep himself grounded.

How could her scent hold this much power over him? It was all he could do not to tear right into the supple flesh of her neck. Which was so temptingly close and completely unprotected.

A _thump_ assailed his ears. It was a steady and overwhelming cadence that pulsed against him.

_Her heartbeat._

He uncurled one of his hands from the bars and clasped it on her delicate shoulder, his knuckles a ghostly pale. Ashley made a noise, one comprised of both surprise and pain.

_I’m sorry…_

He shoved her away hard enough to force out a startled gasp from her.

“Leon-?” Her breath caught as she stared up at him. And instantly she recoiled in horror. The sight of his fangs catching in the dim light of the dungeon had her eyes widening, the blue in them becoming more pronounced.

“Oh god.” she whispered. Her hands flew to her mouth. Leon barely heard the words that seeped past her fingers. “What did they do to you?”

Her heart was thrashing around wildly, the tempo quickening the longer she stood in his presence. It was such a haunting melody. A melody that was practically calling out to Leon. Telling him to come closer. To hear it with more than just his ears, but to feel it with his lips and teeth instead.

“Forgive me…” Leon’s words were spoken with a combination of shame and guilt. Fighting the inner battle against his cravings. His _sinful_ hunger. “…I’m sorry I didn’t find you fast enough.”

Tears threaten to escape the corners of Ashley’s eyes as she remained frozen in mute shock, unable to react or respond with any amount of understanding.

Not that Leon could blame her. How could she ever understand the changes he’d endured? How could she ever lift his spirits after his soul was now eternally damned?

“I promised I’d protect you.” Leon whispered. He was breaking that promise with every passing moment. His body was trembling. It was losing the fight to maintain his sanity. To maintain a grip on his honor. “…I promised…”

“Leon, I-” Ashley was eventually able to speak. Or at least, tried to.

The amount of distress Leon was projecting was probably enough to infect Ashley’s own state of mind. It was obvious she didn’t know what to do or what to say. What actions she could take to get herself out of this hopeless situation. “…Leon, please…” Begging was the last resort of any desperate victim.

And Ashley did it so well.

“Please… I- I know we can get through this if we just work together. You-… you can fight this, Leon. Just…please… help me.” she retreated further away into the corner, seeking to disappear into the shadows. Though, it was futile to try and hide in the darkness from a creature of the night.

Leon didn’t even have to use his night vision to know where she was. Her fluttering heartbeat announced her exact location despite being in a scarcely lit room.

“When I first met you, you were the very definition of courage and strength. Even now…” Ashley spoke. Her words striving to reach a part of Leon that always conducted himself through a code of chivalry. A code of ethics. Despite his dark profession, he was nothing if not a man of his word. “…you’d never forget who you are.”

A foreboding silence fell over them. In the time it took Leon to speak again, he already accepted the inevitable outcome of their dire circumstance.

“I want to believe that.” Leon said lowly.

_...but I can't take the risk._

He reached into his pocket to clutch the rosary still hidden there. His fingers reflexively dropped it when it stung his skin, the metal ringing against the damp concrete of their cell as it landed in a puddle of murky water.

Ashley’s eyes fell on it but she made no attempt to pick it up. Too scared to move from her current spot. Leon didn’t make a move to pick it up either. Both of them knowing the reason why.

“I’m sorry.” Leon apologized quietly, “I didn’t mean to break it. But you should keep it from now on. Hopefully it’ll protect you better then it protected me.” he turned towards the bars of their cell. His expression set with a grim purpose. “I want to keep you safe, Ashley… but… there's really only one way for me to do that now. Just know that whatever happens… the moment you see an opportunity to escape, don’t hesitate.”

Instead of trying to bend the bars apart this time around, he stuck his arm through the gap and over the bridged metal, gripping his wrist with his other hand.

The shuffle of footsteps echoed behind him as Ashley moved. He heard her take an unbalanced step in his direction, the darkness impending her movements.

“Leon? What-…what are you doing?” she asked in fear. He sensed her alarm, the internal panic of what he was going to do next.

“I’m keeping my promise.” murmured Leon. He was having trouble concentrating due to that beguiling smell and he knew he couldn’t risk delaying any further.

He had to act _now_. While he still had control.

“Turn your head. You shouldn’t watch this.” But he didn’t turn around to make sure she listened.

His fingers tightened around the wrist that was dangling through the bars and in the next moment, he jerked as hard as he could.

A loud _snap_ cut through the air followed by Leon's own raw cry. A new smell filled his nose. One that was thick and nauseating from the amount that wafted into his lungs. He nearly gagged on the odor of his own blood but he kept himself composed long enough to drag his arm back through the bars before it could start healing. Though he was exceeding the limits of his pain tolerance, that didn't stop him from burrowing his fingers into his flesh.

The squelch of muscle and the scrape of bone as he dug around in his arm was enough to get Ashley to voice her own protests.

“Leon! Stop! What are you doing?” she repeated the question more urgently. Looking and sounding horrified with his self-destructive actions.

Leon ignored her as he hastily wrenched out the ulna bone in his forearm, groaning and gritting his teeth. The tip of the fracture was splintered, the marrow end coated in dark clumps of blood. He clenched his jaw to try and ward away the heavy throbbing in his shattered limb. But he didn't dare stop. Not when Ashley's life was on the line.

His fingers were shaking as he held up the bone fragment like one would hold a knife, aiming it at the left side of his chest. His lungs took in a deep intake of air, steeling himself physically and mentally before plunging the bone directly into his breastplate. He frantically twisted it, until the pointed tip slipped past the narrow gaps of his rib cage and found its way into his heart.

Leon heard a scream tear through the dungeon, though he was uncertain if it was his own or Ashley’s.

And suddenly, she was at his side. Struggling to hold onto anything... anything that didn’t slip out of her fingers from the plethora of blood.

He didn’t remember when he’d ended up on the floor or the exact moment when Ashley had moved him onto her lap but at least he was far from the thoughts of hunger or thirst. Because in its place was a pain so devastating that it blackened the corners of his vision and had his body regressing like a wilting flower.

“Oh my god. Leon!” Ashley was crying, Her breaths becoming harsh and erratic, to the point where she was sobbing for air. “Oh god, No, no, no. Please! …please… don’t leave me.” her voice dwindled into a small whine, the sound barring her innocence. Her fragility. She was but a tiny candle flame in a bottomless cave, in danger of being snuffed out by the slightest draft.

_I’m so sorry…_ Leon wanted to say. But more than that. He wanted to tell her it was going to be alright. Wanted to give her a false sense of security even in a place where hope didn’t exist. 

He needed to give her something. Anything to comfort her.

For both their sakes.

But he could already feel the rest of his energy dwindling out of his veins. Along with the last of his blood.

He knew using a bone to stake himself through the heart wouldn’t permanently put him down but at least it would make sure he couldn’t hurt anyone.

Especially Ashley.

He felt something plop onto his cheek, followed by a few more. The hot wet dollops scorched down the side of his face and to the edge of his jaw. He could feel Ashley quivering against him, her voice turning quieter and quieter.

“No… no, please… please…” Those quiet pleas followed Leon into an icy abyss. A void he welcomed with open arms. For it was the closest thing he’d get to Death’s embrace.

Even though he’d be departing from Ashley’s warm one.

🦇

The soft whistles of the outside wind and the low crackle of an indoor fire stirred Leon awake. The budding warmth in the air was a far cry from the cold dampness of the dungeon.

His eyelids felt heavy along with every bone in his body. Half of him was still asleep and it took a while before he became fully awake. Longer still, to even get his muscles to move on command. When he finally managed to open his eyes he found himself laying on his back, the surface beneath him soft and familiar.

_A bed._

And overhead were the intricate designs of the ceiling. The golden patterns branching out and around the suspension of a sinister chandelier. However, the view was predominantly hindered by a face hovering over his own. He blinked, his vision clearing, and he saw that it was Albert.

Leon expected rage to instantly take hold of him. Like it usually did whenever he was face to face with his enemy. But at the moment he felt strangely hollow.

His body too weary…

_Too empty._

He could do nothing except stare back into those bright scarlet eyes. Which were overshadowed by the golden strands of hair that complemented a clean-cut face so effortlessly.

Leon watched as narrow eyebrows slowly came together, the line of a jaw barely tensing. The details in front of him seeming… all too sharp. Like his senses were hyper-aware to every little fastidious movement of his _Sire_.

“I can’t decide whether to find your resilience astounding… or exceedingly annoying.”

When Albert spoke, his voice boomed in Leon’s ears even though his timbre was little more than a murmur. Leon winced, his ears thrumming from the other man’s tone.

The hunter wanted to shout at him, lurch his arms forward and beat the other man to a pulp. But he lacked the strength and even _anger_ to do it.

Though while the thought traversed his mind, he couldn’t help the way his eyes shifted to his own arm, the one he remembered so frenziedly breaking in two, only to see that it was now completely healed if not a little thinner then he last remembered. As were the rest of his limbs.

It was probably due to the amount of blood he lost. He recalled the sensation of it flowing out of him, remembering the pain and the darkness that followed its course. He didn't know how long he'd been out and he fretfully wondered what might have happened during that period of catalepsy.

Did he immediately regenerate from his self-inflicted wounds? Did he go on a rampage? Or did he succeed in keeping Ashley safe? Even from himself?

“Ashe-…Ash…” he tried to speak but the air in his lungs were all but gone.

Was Ashley gone as well?

The chances that she somehow escaped were highly unlikely. She was a single human… against a coven of vampires.

_Just please tell me that I’m not the one that killed her…_ Leon desperately hoped.

That would be the worst outcome of all.

If he had somehow in his unconscious state of mind been the one to end her life after promising to protect her.

“…di-did… -I…?” his lips were chapped and sore, further debilitating his ability to speak.

Surprisingly though, Albert was kind enough to fill in the blanks.

“Kill her?”

The words had Leon wincing again. The thought was more harrowing than his current state of helplessness.

Albert’s mouth was set in an even line as he responded in a monochrome voice that revealed nothing of the truth or lie.

“No.”

Leon didn't feel the slightest bit of relief at that. For some reason, the fear wouldn’t leave his thoughts. He had to know the full story, even if it killed the last humane part of him.

His words slightly trembled as he struggled to pronounce them.

“B-but…you did?” It wasn’t really a question. More like an answer in of itself. Because what reason did Albert have in keeping her alive? If not to torment Leon some more.

Yet Albert’s expression betrayed nothing as he again replied with a resonating,

“No.” His eyes scanned the expanse of Leon’s face, almost daring the younger blond to call him a liar. “I didn’t.”

That deep seated anger suddenly crested from the depths of Leon's chest and he cried out with the last of his strength. He wanted to cuff the other man. And he actually _tried_ to. But his body was too sluggish. Too weak and drained. He ended up swiping the empty air as Albert easily leaned his head away from the strike.

“…don’t- lie to me…” Leon hissed out a harsh breath, his body already taking the toll for that small burst of energy.

“I’m not lying.”

“Then what… -did you do to her?”

There was a short delay before the older blond finally relented,

“…I let her go.”

Leon couldn’t believe it. He _wouldn’t_ believe it. Not without a feasible explanation from a creature who had absolutely nothing to gain from it.

“_Why_?”

Throughout this whole time Albert never broke eye contact. Leon didn’t know if that made him an honest man or just a pathological one.

“You seemed so adamant about keeping her alive, …it was commendable. And shouldn’t acts of heroism be rewarded?” The bastard was torturing him. _Pl__aying_ with him.

But at this point the hunter was so tired and spent, he lacked the energy to rise up to the challenge. The rounds of violence and resistance had already taken their toll on him. Advancing to the next stage of _mind games_ was a match he was ill-prepared for.

All at once, his body fell to exhaustion. His spirit completely drained, leaving him thoroughly defeated. He didn't have the desire to continue struggling. To continue _suffering _any longer. All he wanted right now was to be left alone, to just accept his fate and Ashley’s end, if only to find some semblance of peace in this never ending nightmare.

He turned his head to the side, face pressing against the satin covers. He was through with talking but his body couldn’t even muster the energy to roll over and get away from his tormentor.

Albert made a face, Leon barely caught it out of his peripheral vision. Though if he had guess what expression had taken shape, he’d say the older man looked disappointed.

“Don’t believe me?” the pureblood deduced.

A set of fingers grabbed Leon’s chin almost brutally so. And the hunter’s head was forcefully turned to stare back up into those demonic eyes. Leon was tempted to spit at him but knew if he tried, it’d only end up splatting back down onto his own face.

So he settled for glaring instead.

The fingers on his chin released their hold. They drifted upward, toward Albert himself but then they halted at the base of his neck. There was a different look in his eyes. The younger blond couldn’t quite place what it was, only that it somehow made him feel both pressured and provoked at the same time.

“Why don’t you find out?”

Leon’s brows lifted a fraction of an inch when he saw Albert run the curve of a nail up the length of his own throat, leaving a blazing red trail behind.

The sight left him utterly speechless.

Blood welled up between the small slit of flesh. A drop of it gathered in the center, before breaking away and splashing onto Leon’s cheek.

The aroma that invaded his lungs was nothing he could ever describe. Only that it was all too intense and enticing to his nose. It was an essence that was irrefutably _rich_ in every way. And it was rolling off his jawline, a teardrop of it disappearing into the bedsheets.

Albert tilted his head ever so slightly, allowing a bit more light from the nearby hearth to cast a dim glow on the curve of his neck. The flame’s luminosity danced across the elegant column of his throat. His skin as white and flawless as marbled stone, like every alluring line was truly the product of Greek novelty.

Leon didn’t think he’s ever felt such a burning desire for anything before. With Ashley, he was wrought with the incredible urge to drink her blood out of necessity. For _survival_. It was an instinct he could barely control.

But this… This _need_.

The need to simply taste someone.

To taste _him_.

His fangs were protruding before he even realized it. His breaths quickened and _God_… Albert smelled so terrifyingly good. It was all Leon could do to contain himself as another droplet fell and landed at the edge of his mouth. It’s thickness like paint. The flavor… of _corruption _no doubt.

Did corruption have a flavor?

He was so tempted to find out. To slip his tongue past his lips and clean it away.

Yet despite how much he wanted to fulfill his basest desire, there was something stronger in the way of that bottomless hunger.

_Disgust_.

For the second time that night, he turned his head to the side.

He didn’t want this.

He didn’t want to be a vampire. Some fiend that lived off of blood… a _parasite_.

He would rather die.

But a weak sound escaped his throat. An inaudible voice that warred with his own actions. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying and failing to block it all out.

“_Why are you torturing me_?” his words were a dying whisper.

_It’s not enough you had to kill me and kidnap Ashley? It’s not enough that you’ve already won?_ Admitting that last fact to himself was almost as bad as the torture he was living in.

“_Torture_?” the word was spoken with an air of incredulous mirth.

But that bemusement quickly faded as Albert grabbed Leon by the chin again and forced him to look up. “I offer you _my_ blood, the blood of an ancient lineage, and you turn your nose and call it _torture_?” his tone was derisive, almost insulted in its own right. “How many vampires would kill to have a drop? Yet here you are, ever the self-righteous crusader .” He leaned forward, the white of his fangs gleaming in the glow of the fire. His lips were curled back in a callous sneer.

“Do you know what will happen if you keep starving yourself? You won’t die, if that’s the end result you’re hoping for. You’ll just keep starving. Every day. Every year. You’ll grow more withered with the passing of time. Until you’re completely mummified. Your skin will shrink. Your bones will dry out and you’ll feel every bit of it. The hunger. The everlasting thirst. It’ll never set you free.”

There was a weighted pause before his features allayed to a more astute manner.

“Think wisely before making your next decision because my generosity is often _rare_ and fleeting.” He leaned away but remained above Leon. The cut was now gone, his skin as immaculate as before with only the barest red smudge on the surface.

But once again, Albert lifted his hand to his neck. This time, his fingers dug even deeper into the flesh, creating multiple lesions for the blood to flow more freely. It ran in rivulets down his throat until it dwindled at the rise of his collarbone. The self-inflicted injury should’ve been excruciating, however, Albert didn’t show the barest hint of pain on his features.

The older vampire withdrew his nails and lifted them to his own mouth, the digits red and shiny. He licked up the length of his index finger, a hum of indulgence leaking through.

“Time is ticking…”

Leon’s eyes shifted to the fresh wound on Albert’s neck. Watched, as it slowly began to close up. Blood still trickled out as if desperate to escape before being trapped inside. There was so much of it that it fell in the form of liquid beads, landing on Leon’s face. One even landing on his mouth.

And he couldn’t stop it this time. Couldn’t stop the oozing fluid that snuck past his lips and onto his tongue. It was like an explosion on his taste buds. The flavor stinging yet palliating him in a shock of ecstasy

He was already leaning up off the bed without a moment's pause, face inclining further into Albert’s neck. That intoxicating substance grew stronger to his nose. His tongue slipped out to run along the crimson coated skin, stopping only when he reached the crease of the wound. A stream of blood slithered down his throat, hydrating those parched and desiccated cracks in his mouth. The texture of it, refined. The flavor of it, _powerful_.

It was unlike any type of luxury that Leon’s had before. The only thing that could ever come close to it was a glass of ice-cold brandy at the end of a hot summer day. A beverage that tasted best after killing a shit ton of monsters at work.

A thread of saliva driveled down Leon's chin, mixing in with the blood he continued to collect with his lips. The tip of his fangs grazed the flesh of Albert’s neck, the lesions gradually growing thinner and thinner, threatening to seal all that wonderful vermilion liquid along with it.

Leon's jaws reflexively snapped forward, sinking in and opening that valve of cardinal sin. Blood gushed into his waiting mouth, his throat greedily bobbing with each intake. It all happened so fast that he barely realized the reality of his actions until well after the first swallow.

But he couldn’t control himself. Not when he literally felt the strength returning to his muscles. Not when he felt a new source of energy replenish his veins. The rush he got from the act alone had his thoughts floating adrift. Had him feeling so assuaged and satiated that he couldn’t hold back the muffled moan that reverberated deep within his chest.

Without forewarning, an image flickered through his head. It was the picture of a face, the features soft, the hair that framed it long and blond.

_Ashley._

He'd recognize her anywhere.

The next scene was of her walking down a lonely road with her back turned. The buildings on either side of her were shadowed by the night's descension. Her only source of light came from the lampposts that lined the sidewalk. Snow flurries twirled around her receding form, until she seemingly vanished into thin air.

The images dispersed into the dark recesses of Leon’s mind. The memories were so fuzzy and faded he wondered if it was even real or perhaps a fragment of an old dream. But then he realized that it hadn’t been _his_ memories.

It had been Albert’s.

The older vampire _did_ imply something along the lines of Leon finding out the truth by drinking his blood.

Exchanging memories through blood wasn’t unheard of among Vampires. Though, the extent of Leon's knowledge about it was very limited. He wasn't sure if it was even a reliable way of obtaining information.

The entire concept had him questioning if all this had actually been some sort of trick.

Purebloods had the power to make people see things that weren’t there. They had the power to do a lot of shit that most people couldn’t even fathom. So maybe it wouldn’t be a stretch that Albert had somehow fabricated these images and planted them in Leon’s head. How could the hunter trust that Ashley was truly safe if he hadn't been there to witness it?

He grew furious. Furious at the thought of being manipulated into this situation. Outraged at the notion of falling victim and prey to this bastard not once, but twice now.

Even though Leon didn't want to believe it, he had to face the fact that Ashley was truly gone. There was no solid evidence to prove otherwise. And whose word was he going trust? Albert’s?

Hell no.

Having faith in a fucking _monster_ was the last thing Leon would ever do. The awareness of his fangs still being lodged in the other man’s neck wasn’t forgotten. And the opportunity to rip out his jugular was far too irresistible to pass up.

Leon’s jaws clenched tighter on Albert’s throat but just as they began to clamp up, a hand cupped the underside of his chin, the fingers against his skin compressing so harshly that they threatened to break Leon’s mandible if he didn’t let go.

Leon reluctantly gave in, his fangs sliding out cleanly as they were forcefully removed. His lower jaw aching. His head was pushed back down onto the bed. More like _slammed_ back onto it. And Albert was suddenly snarling in his face.

“Foolish to try that with me.” his fingers continued to squeeze until there was a light _pop_. Leon grunted in pain. He could feel the cracks in his bone start to branch out. But before it was completely crushed, Albert released him.

The hunter would’ve been relieved if wasn’t for the way those imperious eyes burned brighter. He recognized that look from the first time Albert unleashed an onslaught of psychological agony.

“Did you already forget your first lesson?”

The words were Leon's only warning before his airway was cut off. He impulsively began to struggle but he should’ve known better than to think he had a chance of winning.

Much too soon, he began to feel lightheaded. And Albert seemed to _know_ because he didn’t loosen up on the pressure. He only made it worse. Until everything in and around Leon started to wane. His thoughts, his feelings. Even Albert’s face was diminishing into obscurity.

He knew he was going to lose consciousness but there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening.

Those glowing red eyes boring into his own were the last thing he saw before it all faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wesker: *A single parent trying to take care of his night child. Releases Ashley to make Leon happy. Gives Leon blood so he won't starve.*
> 
> Also Leon: "PEACE WAS NEVER AN OPTION"
> 
> Wesker: "So you have chosen... DEATH"
> 
> 🤣 I'm sorry


	7. Afterlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the kudos 🖤 and comments 🥰 You're all so lovely!

Screams chorused down the long corridors. Echoes that stretched on throughout the estate in every direction.

Leon’s instincts told him he was making far too much noise. The first rule of being a hunter was to never give away your position, least any monsters be close by. But he couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment.

The pain was intolerable.

He’d woken up to find himself on the floor of the bedroom, his back ablaze from some unseen affliction. Any movement he made caused his spine to flare up like hell itself was trying to claw out of his skin.

“_agh_\- _fuck.._.” he quietly panted, trying ease back his labored breathing. Just the rise and fall of his chest had the pain infringing his nerve endings.

He outstretched his fingers along the cool marble floor, slender digits slightly trembling. He softly grunted and stopped himself from trying to get up. Knowing from prior attempts that nothing good would come from it.

He didn’t dare overexert his limit. Not without first evaluating his current predicament. He laid there for a few undisturbed minutes, calculating his next move.

The hunter concentrated on his senses, on the surroundings that ensnared him.

There was a pressure in his back, a place where the pain was originating from. He tried to reach around himself but a twinge instantly had him dropping the whole attempt.

“_Fuck!_” The curse came louder this time and he winced when the force of the expletive jostled him a bit _too_ much.

The creak of a door caught his ears and he went completely still. He was facing away from the front of the room, his sight limited to only the bed and drawn curtains. The _click-clack_ of a pair of shoes split the air, growing sharper and harsher the closer they got to Leon.

He clenched his jaw, steeling himself for whatever was coming next. Trying to think of the best ways to get to his feet and rip Albert’s head off.

But he wasn’t prepared to see a long pair of slim legs glide into view. Black stiletto heels reached the foot of the bed before the soft groan of the wooden bedframe crept in his ears. The visitor seated themselves comfortably. Crisscrossing those long milky legs in a casual manner.

Leon’s eyes flickered up, traveling up the miles of pale skin and over the red fabric of a cheongsam that hugged every dip and curve of the woman in front of him.

His eyes slightly widened, recognizing her almost instantly.

“You-” Leon began in a note of shock. He thought she had died in the fire.

The Vampiress smiled ever so sweetly.

“My, my. You don’t forget a face do you? Though in this instance, I don’t blame you.” She lifted a manicured hand to gesture to herself salaciously.

Leon’s mouth twisted down in disgust.

“You looked better on fire.”

He remembered that Albert had called her _Ada, _right as she fell through the roof of the cathedral.

A scarlet smile played on the corners of Ada’s lips.

“Now I see why Albert’s been so harsh with you. You just can’t seem to fall in line, hm?” she moved one of her long legs to nudged him with her heel. The gentle motion caused Leon’s back to erupt in agony. He spat out a snarl and tried to scoot away from her.

He didn’t get very far.

“Once I’m back on my feet you’ll be the first one I come looking for.” Leon’s threat rang hollow in his current state.

The Vampiress hooded her eyelids, her mouth rising coyly.

“Those are bold words coming from a man who needs my help.”

“Who said I need your help?”

She tilted her head.

“You didn’t have to.” She stated, her tone sickeningly sweet. “You made it quite clear with those screams of yours.”

The hunter would have blanched if he skin wasn’t already undyingly pale.

She chuckled and stood up from the bed. Leon heard the _click-clack_ of her heels as she sauntered around him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end once she moved out of view.

“Wondering what has you so utterly crippled?”

Leon didn’t say anything. The anticipation of her impending torture was steadily climbing.

He saw her legs reappear in his line of sight. Her journey coming full circle.

“There’s a stake in your back.” she sounded much too blasé for his liking, given the circumstances. “Luckily for you though, it’s not made out of wood… or silver.”

_I’m overcome with gratitude… _Leon mentally harped.

“…but it _is_ lodged into your spine. Straight through the middle unfortunately.”

Leon gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to block out her obnoxious voice.

“Why so quiet? You had no trouble voicing your opinions earlier.” She goaded.

“What do you want?” Leon finally huffed.

She sat back down on the bed, recrossing those lithe legs of hers. Her tongue clicked against the roof of her moth.

“Why, I don’t want anything.” The words were simply stated. Honeyed. And a bit too devious to fall for. “…I’m just here for the show.”

Leon’s growl not only had his body vibrating in anger but also pain. However, he was much too overcome with emotion to take notice to the protests of his body.

He thrashed against the floor like an animal in a wired trap. Failing in all his attempts to simply get up.

“Do you want some advice?” Ada asked.

_Fuck you, bitch. Once I get up I’m going to kill you and all your blood sucking friends-_

His thoughts and movements were interrupted when Ada stood up from the bed once more. She disappeared from his sight, moving faster than he anticipated.

And then she was suddenly kneeling behind him, a hand on the stake that was lodged in his spine, keeping him still. Leon froze, envisaging her using the stake to rip him straight through the middle.

But to his surprise, she smoothly yanked it out.

“Don’t look back.”

Leon’s entire body jolted. Then slackened. Her words barely registered in his head as the notches in his severed spine cracked and snapped back into place.

The moment he was able to, he sprang to his feet and braced himself for an attack, whirling around with his arms raised in front of him.

Only to find himself alone. The door wide open…

A distorted shape fled in a blur down the corridor and like a bloodhound let loose in the wild, Leon gave in to the impulse to chase after it. Falling into an ingrained habit, he hunted after the Vampiress with all intents to purge her from this world. But then his pursuit came to an abrupt halt the moment he reached the overpass of the imperial staircase.

His eyes cast over the railings and settled on the foyer below. Dark paneling shrouded the walls, lambent shadows casted on them by a crystal chandelier that hung from the coved ceiling. Victorian furniture embellished the room on a velvet rich carpet that led from the stairs to the open entryway.

A few vampires were lounging in the area along with a thrall, who was wearing a filigree apron and stockings. Looking more of a living ornament than a servant. And the vampires that were toying with her were none other than the women that Leon had run into back in the Soirée hall.

His nostrils flared at the sight of those familiar faces. Remembering how it felt to be the helpless one amongst them.

A growl emitted from the top of the stairs and he took noticed of how the common natter faded away. The women turning their heads to look up at him.

One of the women that Leon recognized, the raven haired temptress, looked alarmed at first. As did her fellow consorts. But one flick of her gaze around the vicinity to find that Leon was alone, had her lips brandishing an untrustworthy smile.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our little lamb. Perhaps you’d like to keep us company?” It was an obvious goad for some entertainment, her artful eyes sparkling.

She wouldn’t dare initiate any contact with him again. Yet she didn’t have to, because it was clear that the thrall was the main reason Leon was in such a frenzy. The Vampiress pointed her chin towards the servant, lifting a curved nail to run across the human girl’s cheek.

“Or perhaps… you’d like someone else’s company for the time being?”

“Get away from her!” Leon shouted.

All the women shifted their positions on the furniture, looking a bit more primed for Leon’s next move.

“Or else what, lamb? Are you going to tell your _Sire_?” she crowed mockingly, tone sounding begrudged from what happened last time. But she failed to see that Leon’s Sire wasn’t the one they needed to _fear_ in that moment.

Leon was already crouching forward, his fangs elongating.

“You’d be lucky if he walked in.” Leon uttered.

The women must have felt a change in the air because they all suddenly went very stiff, their eyes widening as they realized too late that Leon was on the cusp of a killing spree. The hunter lunged from the stairs.

He felt different this time. No longer weak or tired, more like rejuvenated ever since he drank Albert’s blood. And every vampire in the room seemed to notice because they all shot to their feet. The raven haired woman shoving the servant forward in an effort to block Leon’s path.

But Leon didn’t pay the human any mind, instead going for the closest vampiress by the staircase.

It all happened so fast. One moment a redheaded consort was in front of him. In the next, Leon had sliced through her neck like it was warm butter. Blood on his lips, flesh in his teeth. It tasted tangy… and bitter. Like the burn of a lemon.

And from there, all Leon could see was red.

_Red…_

The color of warmth.

And did he ever feel it. The rush of heat from the flavor alone. God, it tasted so good. He was like a starved man.

A starved man in a room full of delicacies.

Rich _red_ delicacies…

Before he knew it, the room was painted in crimson. He wasn’t even aware of his state of mind until a whimper reached his ears. A beseeching and helpless squeal that oozed through his fingers.

He blinked, the red clouded haze clearing from his sight as his eyes looked down.

It was the thrall. Her gaze was wide and fearful. Her hands were gripping his where they were wrapped around her neck. She struggled to break free, clothes and skin covered in blood but still alive. Still _breathing_… The beating of her heart was so strong it pounded in Leon’s head. A heart so strong that it couldn’t be anything but _alive_ and _living_. Not dying.

With a sense of relief, he realized the blood on her clothes wasn’t her own.

He released her and she lost her balance. Landing on the wet floor with a _squelch_. She scrambled backward before clumsily clawing to her feet and fleeing the scene.

A cold chill crawled up the length of his spine. Winter’s breath tousled his hair and he turned around, eyes spotting the double doors of the entryway wide open.

The world outside was dark and foreboding. A surprisingly pleasant distraction from the turmoil that was going on in Leon's head. Casting aside the horror and shock of what he'd just done to instead focus on a more crucial turning point.

_What lies out there in the unknown?_ He wondered. But he didn’t have to ponder on it for long.

_Freedom._

He didn’t think twice. His legs carried him out of the building, feet hitting the hard stone of the outside steps until a few strides later they were sinking into the welcoming snow. He fled through the courtyard, steps falling faster the further he got out.

_Don’t look back,_ the advice of his enemy ominously echoed in the back of his mind.

But there must have been some deep seated curiosity that weighed on Leon's concentration. For at the very edge of the property he suddenly yielded and turned around.

Just as fear was enough to get him to run, it was enough to get him to stop and look back. If not to convince himself it wasn’t a dream, then to make sure he wasn’t being followed.

Because why wouldn’t anyone follow?

Why wouldn’t anyone try to stop him?

He never should have turned around.

His eyes widened as they scanned across the property. Vision as clear as crystal even from this distance. And his breathing seized, air shriveling in his throat.

Standing just inside the open doors was Albert.

The image of him was pristine in comparison to all the blood, bodies and _carnage _that stained the floors and walls.

And the mere sight of him instilled dread in Leon’s very core. Though the reason _why_ at the moment seemed to be unprecedented. Because Albert only stood there. Emotionless. No hint of concern or rage. Just keeping his gaze fixed solely on Leon.

Which Leon had to admit, was terrifying on its own.

The hunter didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t think. His instincts to fight or flight were at war with each other. He was unsure if he’d be able to run… if he’d be able to escape _him_. Could Albert’s mind powers reach him at this distance? Leon wasn’t confident he could even fight against it this time.

While the hunter internally began to panic, the moments passed without interference. And Leon slowly came to realize it.

He noticed that Albert hadn’t moved.

Not once.

All thoughts of uneasiness were pushed aside by confusion. The hunter took a cautious step backwards. Yet still, Albert didn’t move. Didn’t even make an attempt to follow.

_What the fuck…_

And suddenly a new brand of panic gripped Leon’s entire body. His breath coming out in short bursts as he saw a sheen of light glint off the surface of the windows. His eyes darted to the source, spotting a creeping halo spreading across the horizon.

It was the sunrise.

🦇

The sun was coming up. It’s reach was already seeping through the tree line. Beams and slivers stretching across the front lawn like desperate limbs. It wouldn’t be long before they enveloped the property completely.

So that’s why Albert hadn’t moved. The fucking bastard **_knew_**. And he was probably expecting Leon to come running back.

The hunter would be lying if he said he didn’t consider the idea at first. But Leon knew he _couldn’t_ go back. No, if he went back now he’d be running right into the arms of his enemy.

He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes.

_Fuck this._

He’d rather risk getting burned to death.

Leon turned and ran. Intent on getting as far as he could before the sun burnt him to a crisp. He made a beeline for the nearby woods, knowing that the canopy was his only protection against the sunlight. He didn’t chance a look back again. Even though a part of him was dying to know if Albert was following.

The hunter kept telling himself the pureblood wouldn’t risk it. No, Albert wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t risk his life just to pursue Leon.

Would he?

Leon shook away the question. He couldn’t worry about that now. Because right now, there was actually something more dangerous then Albert. And it was getting closer with each passing moment. It was the only thing that Leon needed to focus on. Focus on finding shelter, on getting out from the reach of the sun.

The hunter made it into the trees but didn’t stop to catch his breath. He continued on his desperate dash through the woods, _feeling_ more than _seeing_ the light seep in through the branches.

It felt hot, his vision becoming hindered from the white rays of sunshine that glinted through the leaves.

_“…fuck…” _He panted, wondering how on Earth he was going to survive the sun’s burning glare.

He suddenly broke through the wooded area, catching himself at the edge of a town. The sight of the streets kindled a feeling of familiarity and he sprinted down them, overcome with a new sense of urgency as he carved out a trail from memory.

He knew he was in Raccoon City and an image flashed in his head the further he progressed. An image of a friend. One who he remembered resided not far from the border. The sunlight was following his path over the rooftops and he tried to hasten his pace, going faster than humanly possibly.

But Leon was running out of energy, his lungs running out of air.

And he could barely see anything by the time he stumbled down a familiar road, his strides turning uncoordinated as he neared a fire escape. From there his movements purely operated on muscle memory. He drugged himself up the iron scaffolding only stopping after climbing the right amount of stairs. His knuckles flung out blindly. Eyes squeezing shut from how much light there was in the world.

The rattling of a window reigned his focus back in, his knuckles hitting their mark. He then heard a faint rustle coming from within. The padding of footsteps, followed by the click and sliding of wood.

And finally, a voice… which Leon opened his eyes for. Barely spotting the disheveled figure of a man in nothing but a pair of sweatpants.

“Wha-… holy shit! Leon?”

The hunter could feel heat at his back. But not the pleasant kind of heat like one would absorb from a campfire. It was the intense _burning_ kind.

And Leon knew without looking that the sun was rising higher and higher above the buildings behind him. He was unable to hide in their shadows for long.

“Chris,” Leon gritted out through his bared teeth, the pain becoming more and more unbearable. He fingers harshly gripped the edge of the sill. To the point where the wood splintered and broke in his grasp.

“_Please_\- let me in.”


	8. Snakes in the Grass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you guys so much for all the kudos <3 and comments ^_^

Prestigious Counts and Countesses alike were seated in the grand dining hall where human thralls served them wines and delectable appetizers. A long wooden table dominated the center of the room set with antique candelabras illuminating tonight’s cuisine.

A human girl, unconscious and paralyzed by venom, lay gracefully prone against the grey surface of ironbark. Black dahlia petals wreathed her naked body in sparse patterns. The floral pigmentation offset the white of her skin appealingly as did the thin streaks of blood on her wrist and ankles. Her eyes were closed in bottomless slumber. A peaceful death as opposed to the many that have transpired in this household. A spread of other exotic dishes where lined down the sable mantle. All ranging from carmine fruit to rubicund veal.

Albert was idly picking at the arrangement on his plate. A thick slice of meat, prepared rare with scarlet juice still oozing through the surface. Unmistakably human. Different from the centerpiece on the table but sharing a similar smell that was moist and provocative. A licentious aroma that no one could refuse.

Yet Albert’s cravings were beyond this assorted cuisine. _Cravings_ that hadn’t faded since the day he snapped a certain hunter’s neck between his jaws.

The taste of Leon’s blood left a ghostly impression on his tongue. One that haunted him even now. The younger man had tasted so perfect, so _exquisite_. A unique blend of danger and innocence. Nothing Albert’s ever had could compare to that flavor. A flavor that had been all his own. And just thinking about it had him yearning to taste it again.

_A shame he’s no longer human,_ Albert couldn’t help but quietly chastise himself for not sparing the hunter’s life.

But he wondered… if perhaps there was a chance that Leon’s blood still held a trace of the purity that it had before.

Before being cursed into eternal damnation.

_Unlikely._

Some might’ve said he was starting to regret turning the hunter in the first place. Gossip wasn’t uncommon among their ilk. Even with regards to a pureblood. And Albert was aware of the rumors that bloomed in his passing. Aware of the skeptical looks on their fleeting glances.

They were anxious and rightfully so. They didn’t trust the temperament of this particular newborn vampire. Especially since said newborn was once a _vampire hunter_. The very one that’s caused so much destruction as of late.

Most of these dinner guests were still recovering from what happened at the Cathedral. Spencer’s manor was the closest refuge for the elite of their kind. They’d be returning to their respectable covens after things settled down.

Unbeknownst to them, though, the games were only just beginning. And unbeknownst to Leon, he still had a bigger part to play in the politics of vampire society.

The pureblood’s eyes had strayed toward the head of the table as he drank the red liquid from his glass, eyeing Lord Spencer with a disenchanted expression.

The old Noble had power to his name. _Power_ that Albert wanted but never voiced allowed. The influence of a pureblood only extended so far and most of that reach was only limited to his homeland in Europe.

He’d played the dutiful delegate… until the time was right.

And it would seem that time was now.

He didn’t miss the sight of Ada arriving late to the banquet, nor did he miss the echoing wails of dying women coming from the foyer a few minutes later.

The screams had every aristocrat at the table falling quiet. Their eyes glazing over to Albert as if they just _knew_ who was responsible for the disruption. Albert casually stood up, his expression far from concerned as he straightened out his suit.

“If you’ll excuse me.”

They watched him leave, his steps calm.

Unhurried.

When he got to the lobby he wasn’t surprised to find it in a bloody mess. He was, quite frankly, secretly amused that Leon had gone feral. The loss of the consorts didn’t really affect him. They were lower vampires that had no standing amongst people of his status. Hence why they hadn’t joined the others for dinner. However, he knew that Luis Sera was bound to be more then dismayed at discovering the destruction of his harem. Albert would have to find a way to make amends if he didn’t want to severe ties with the Spanish coven.

He walked to the entrance of the manor, stopping just outside the open doors. He caught a glimpse of his progeny lingering at the edge of the property. The sun was coming up and at its presence an internal confliction sprouted up from within the pureblood.

He could either go after Leon and drag him back; do the right thing as any Sire would and teach him to be a proper vampire. Teach him to obey and serve. Or, he could let Leon run away and use his absence as an opportunity. The other vampires would soon come across the scene. At the loss of more of their kind, panic would unsettle the manor. It would disrupt everyone’s guard.

It would leave Spencer _vulnerable_.

Vulnerable enough for Albert to kill him in the confusion and put the blame all on Leon. After the obliteration of an entire harem, no one would be hard pressed to believe it. Sure, the _seemingly_ loss of control over his own newborn would affect his reputation. But in the end, he'd have so much more to gain from it. In the wake of Spencer's death, he could take charge of this coven and add it to the growing range of territory his family already possessed in Europe.

A cunning smile crooked the corner of the pureblood’s lips as he watched Leon turn heel and run into the woods.

It would seem his progeny would prove more useful then he originally thought.

🦇

It was early morning – to put it mildly. But in Chris’ crude point of view it was ‘the ass crack of dawn’. He’d usually still be asleep by now but an insistent rattling at his window wouldn’t allow him the pleasure. The loud banging carried all the way through his apartment until it reached his bedroom. Reluctantly, his feet slid off the mattress to slowly drag the rest of his body across the floor and into the hallway.

The drafty air chilled his bare chest as he trudged toward the noise, irritation twisting his groggy features. He reached the living room window, it’s surface still fogged from the morning condensation. Before he could really wonder why the hell anyone would be banging on his window this early in the day, he was already angrily sliding it open.

“Wha-” he nearly choked on the word, eyes widening in recognition. “-holy shit! Leon?”

He could hardly process the scene in front of him. Was this some sort of weird illusion?

Leon was crouched on his fire escape, white boney knuckles were clutching the edge of the sill like a cat clawing out of water. He was covered in blood. Though whose, was yet to be known.

“Chris,” the name was grated through Leon’s teeth.

_Teeth_, that Chris instantly realized, were abnormally long and sharp.

Before the signs that something was terribly wrong could fully dawn on Chris, the glare of the morning sun peeked over the rooftops in the background. A hiss instantly flew from Leon’s mouth, his grip turning harsher again the wood, splintering it between his fingers.

A smell suddenly hit Chris’ nose. The smell of smoke and burning flesh. Not a moment later his eyes caught the curl of ashen fumes wafting from Leon’s back.

“_Please_\- let me in.”

_Oh fuck- fuck!_

Caught in shock and confusion, Chris was uncertain on what to do. Every gut instinct screamed for him to reach for his gun or a nearby crucifix. But his head was shouting the opposite.

This was _Leon_. And Leon was his friend before he was anything else.

Chris was quick to fling himself aside, baring the way for Leon to come in. But the other hunter didn’t move. He remained solidly fixed on the sill even as his skin continued to sizzle and darken.

_Shit, you fucking idiot- you have to invite him,_ a conscious voice berated him for being so stupid. But it was only then that the knowledge came full force. _He’s a fucking vampire._

“You can come in.” Chris said in a rush, if only to prevent Leon from bursting into flames.

The blond fell through the window, like some invisible barrier had suddenly ceased to exist. He landed on the floor in a heap, his limps curling inward out of reflexive agony. Chris could see the full span of his back and saw that the sunlight had blackened the fabric of his shirt to seep directly into his skin. Ash and flecks of embers floated about the room, the tiny sparks looking ready to ignite from the slightest breeze.

“_-urgh-fuck…_” Leon growled. He started rolling around on the floor, desperate to quell any threats of a fire.

Chris was busy slamming the window shut and pulling the curtains together in a rush. His hand flew to the nearby couch to grab the discarded quilt strewn there. He threw it on top of the other male, hoping to smother the remaining cinders.

Leon fell still under the heavy blanket, his body going lax. The room fell quiet for a moment. A cloying stench of smoke filled Chris’ lungs and he just now noticed how his own chest was heaving slightly. He tried to slow his breathing, tried to come to terms with the situation.

He straightened up alongside the arm of the couch, charily leaning over Leon’s prone form.

“Leon?” Chris asked, his voice winded and anxious.

He couldn’t believe this.

Couldn’t believe he had a _vampire_ in his home.

“_Fuck_\- Jesus Christ.” the words were huffed out of Chris' chest. His hands where instantly in his hair, tangling themselves in the dark brown locks to keep them from reaching for a weapon. He was never one to get nervous. He was never one to freak out. But in that moment, he couldn’t contain it.

“What the fuck happened to you?” the words rattled his chest even more. “Shit, man. The last we heard, you- you were…”

_At the Cathedral,_ Chris finished in his head. Their scouts said it had burned down, that nothing remained of it other than ash and ruins. There was no sign of Leon. And no signs of the kidnapped victims. The League had still been in the midst of gathering intel when Leon left on his own personal mission. It was hard not to speculate all the things that could’ve gone wrong when he disappeared.

Had it been a trap this whole time?

Why the fuck had Leon gone in alone? He always had a tendency to work solo but still… he should’ve known better.

They’d all thought he had _died_. Even when Ashley came back to the League of Hunters looking hollow and thin but otherwise unharmed, she never mentioned anything about Leon. Didn’t say he was still alive.

_Well technically…_ and Chris’ gaze fell on the other hunter with dismay. He clenched his jaw, lips parting in frustration.

“Fuck, Leon! You fucking idiot.”

Leon finally shifted on the floor, slipping the blanket off his frame to reveal all the blood that stained his skin and clothes. Chris tensed, struggling to remain in his idle stance. But it was hard not to give into the impulse to reopen those curtains and let the sun do its work.

“Look, I’m sorry-…” Leon’s voice was a fading whisper. He floundered on the floor for a few seconds before letting himself sag against it in surrender. It was almost like he couldn’t keep his body cognizant. “I can’t-… I an’…”

Chris held his breath, watching with mortified confusion as Leon went limp and then… seemingly unconscious.

The seconds ticked by until a full minute had passed. Chris moved forward a bit, his heart thrumming in his chest. He nudged Leon with his foot and when there wasn’t any sort of reaction, he did it again. This time vocalizing,

“Leon?”

Still nothing. Chris released the aching breath he’d been keeping in. Worry for his friend replaced the fear of being eaten alive and he moved into a kneeled position at Leon’s side. He shook the blond hunter gently, his voice turning firm.

“Leon!”

Again, no answer.

_Fuck,_

Chris moved his fingers to Leon’s neck. His skin was cold as ice and hard as stone. The shock of it had Chris flinching back and he wanted to physically face palm himself for being so stupid.

_Fuck, of course he’s not going to have a pulse. He’s already dead._

But Chris worried that Leon was _literally_ dead this time. What if the sun took too much out of him? What if-

Chris quickly shook his head, trying to shake away the panic that wanted to consume him.

_Get it together. Quit being such an idiot. You’re a hunter, you’re smarter than this._

Of course, he was just thrown off balance because it was _Leon_ that this was happening to. But when it came to vampires, Chris knew almost everything. He knew that they slept like the dead during the day. That’s why it was usually easier to kill them when the sun was up. Vampires had a hard time focusing and being aware in that time frame.

_Right, so Leon’s just in a day-coma right now._

He’d wake up eventually. But when he did, then what?

Chris shifted in place a moment before finally making a decision and getting to his feet. He grabbed the edge of the quilt and draped it over Leon’s form before bending down to wrap his arms around the other's waist and drag him out of the living room.

Chris put Leon in his bedroom, making sure all the curtains were drawn tight and covering Leon with the duvet as an added layer of protection. Leon hadn’t even so much as twitched the entire time. He just laid there like a corpse.

It was eerie.

And a bit uncomfortable.

Chris still couldn’t believe this was happening as he shut the door and made his way back into the common space. Without wasting anymore time, he picked up the phone and dialed his sister’s number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I really wanted to delve in more about Vampire Politics in this chapter but it's so hard for me to find a place to do that naturally without massively info dumping xD I hope I didn't do that too much here.
> 
> But basically, Albert is a powerful pureblood and he's pretty well-known but he's isn't like the most important person amongst vampire society. Especially on American soil. So that's why he's all like, 'I gotta go plot my takeover. be right back' XD (In this universe, a lot of that goes around in Vampire Politics). Higher vampires will conspire against other higher vampires just to gain influence or a new coven. But they do so very discreetly. Hence why Albert uses Leon's killing spree as an opportunity to do some killing himself ;) 
> 
> Meme for this chapter
> 
> *A bunch of women are killed mercilessly* *Blood and gore all over the floors and walls*
> 
> Wesker: "It's free real estate."


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